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Chapter Text

“Harry, you need to eat something,” Fred said, worry clouding his voice and face as he and George sat opposite him in the café they were in. 

“I know, Fred. But I can’t,” Harry whispered, his hand resting on his stomach as he tried to battle the nausea, exhaustion, and fear that he was feeling. 

It had been a long two months. 

Nearing the end of June there was, as always, a fight against Voldemort. Voldemort and some Death Eaters had arrived in Hogsmeade on the last Hogsmeade trip of the year, and battle had ensued. It had ended rather abruptly, on Harry’s end anyway, when Lucius Malfoy sent a spell at him which hit him at the same time as a blast of pure magic from Voldemort. 

This lead to Harry passing out due to the torturous pain in his stomach. When he woke up he was told he was fine but his stomach was a tad bruised. It had been sore for a few days but manageable. He was able to complete his fifth year without too much trouble. 

Then he went back to the Dursleys two weeks later, and things were fine other than the starvation and slaving away for them, as well as the occasional beating from his uncle. 

Then the sickness started. He was puking in the morning, every morning. But not just in the morning, it would creep up in the afternoon and evening every now and then also. He thought, at first, that it was just the lack of food and his body not adjusting to going from eating three meals a day at Hogwarts to eating barely a snack each day as quickly as usual. 

But then he passed out whilst working on the front garden and the Order member that was spying on him took him to Headquarters.

When he woke up he found Dumbledore, Pomfrey, Tonks, Moody, as well as Sirius and Remus standing at the end of his bed, there was a gold magical shield around him, and he felt sick. 

“What is wrong with me?” Harry asked as he sat up slowly, trying not to puke. 

“Nothing to worry about, my boy, we will sort it out just as soon as you remove your shield,” Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling but Harry could see anger and disgust in them also. 

Something felt very wrong about the situation. 

“Why can’t you just tell me what is happening? It is my body after all, I think I deserve to know what has been making me sick the last week or so,” Harry said, raising an eyebrow at his godfather who looked rather sheepish. The disgust in his eyes hurt Harry, though, “Sirius, what is going on?”

“You’re pregnant,” Sirius blurted out, which then led to the other adults in the room glaring at the immature man. 

“What? But I’m a man. And I haven’t had sex,” Harry said, shocked. He didn’t know that male pregnancy was possible in the wizarding world. 

“Well, some wizards can get pregnant. And you are,” Sirius ground out, annoyed, the disgust still lingering in his eyes. 

“And how am I pregnant if I haven’t had sex?”

Pomfrey sighed, glaring at Sirius, “The curse that Lucius Malfoy sent you, that hit you at the same time as the blast of magic from You-Know-Who, allowed this to happen. You are pregnant with You-Know-Who’s… foetus,” she shivered in disgust. 

Harry swallowed, looking at the adults in the room and not liking the way they were staring at him. His hand unconsciously went to his stomach, where his child lay within him. 

“Okay. Well then, why is there a shield around me?” Harry asked, not liking the situation at all. 

“The shield appeared when we tried to abort the baby for you,” Sirius said. 

Harry didn’t know what to think, what to feel. 

They tried to kill his baby. Without him even knowing. Without his consent. 

They tried to kill his baby. 

“You tried to kill my baby,” Harry said quietly, curling into a ball to better protect his belly. 

“Harry, my boy, it is Voldemort’s… child,”

“It is my baby,”

“Harry, you can’t possibly want to continue this, what would your parents think?” Sirius screeched, Harry cringed at the pitch. 

“You mean my parents who died to protect me? I think they would be okay with me wanting and protecting my child,”

“That monster killed them and you want to have his child,” Remus growled. 

“No, I want to have my child. Mine. My baby,”

“My boy, you are only nearly sixteen, a bit young to have a baby, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I am young. But that doesn’t mean I won’t love and look after my child. I am having my baby,”

“You are still in school, Harry, how can you finish your education and have a child at the same time?” Tonks said, there was a kindness in her voice but her face, her eyes, told a vastly different story. 

“I don’t know, but I think I have the right to bloody well figure it out if I want to,” Harry growled. 

Harry growled even more, even as he flinched at the spell that ricocheted off the shield. The spell which came from a very angry Sirius. 

“You are not having that… thing, Harry. Your parents would be turning in their graves at what you are doing to repay their sacrifice. You shouldn’t even be considering keeping the thing,” Sirius spat, and Harry’s heart hurt the more the man said. 

“That thing is my baby, too. It is half me. I have every right to have my baby. You can’t force an abortion on me. I don’t want an abortion. I want my baby,” Harry said, trying to fight back the tears as Sirius lunged at him only to fly off the shield, “Please, just let me have my baby,”

“We will come back when you have had time to properly think about this, my boy,” Dumbledore said before leading the angry hoard out of the room. But Harry knew he wasn’t going to be left alone. 

And he wasn’t left alone. They told the rest of the Order (apart from Snape and Kingsley), and the Weasleys and Hermione, about the baby, and all of them minus Bill, Charlie and the twins actively shot abortion charms at him whenever they saw him. Some of them got creative and started putting a potion in his food and drink to try and make him lose the baby. 

He didn’t understand. It was his baby, too. They all knew that all he had ever wanted was a family. This was his chance. His amazing miracle of a chance, and they were trying so bloody desperately to take it from him. 

Fred and George were actively protecting him whenever they left the safety of the twins’ bedroom, he wasn’t safe with Ron, which wasn’t all that often as he couldn’t be around any of the Order without them trying to kill his child. Bill and Charlie agreed not to be so active about it as they would be helpful spies on the Order for them. But as a result of this Fred and George became targets for some nasty pranks and jinxes which hurt them. Because how dare they try to protect ‘the thing’. 

About a week ago Bill, Charlie and the twins helped him escape, the twins going with him to help with everything, and because they wanted to escape the things they were being put through, mostly by their own family, before it got unbearable. 

Harry was now ten weeks pregnant. He was exhausted. He was sick. He was confused. He was scared. But he loved his baby. He wanted his baby more than anything else in the world. 

And they had been trying to kill his baby for about six weeks. 

He was surprised he held on as long as he did. But he knew he couldn’t hold on much longer. He knew the shield was getting weaker. He knew his magic was getting weaker. 

He had to leave. To protect his baby. 

To protect himself. 

To protect his friends. 

But he couldn’t eat. He couldn’t eat because he wasn’t safe. Because he was sick. Because he couldn’t handle the thought that maybe his food was poisoned like so much of it was at Headquarters. 

He couldn’t handle the pain.

They were close to their destination. 

Between reading books about male pregnancy which Bill and Charlie got for him, and trying to protect his baby from the people who were meant to love and help him, he had done some thinking. He tried not to be around them, just to be with the twins every second of the day, but they started bursting into the room at random intervals, thinking the shock would make the shield not appear. 

A lot of thinking actually. 

He wondered, a lot, if things were actually what they seemed to be, at least, before the Order started trying to kill his child. He wondered if the Light side were actually as Light as they pretended to be. And he wondered if the Dark was actually as Dark as they seemed to be. 

Clearly things were not what they seemed on the Light if they thought it okay to try and kill his child without his consent just because of who the father was. 

But, to be completely honest, he didn’t actually know anything about the Dark side. All he knew was the bare minimum that the people he no longer trusted told him. And what young Tom told him in the Chamber. 

But could he trust that?

All he knew was that he didn’t want to fight. He never did. 

All he wanted was for his child to be safe. 

So, Harry figured, or hoped, that by going to Tom, because he felt calling his child’s father Voldemort just wasn’t the right thing to do, even with their history, they would be safe. Or, at least, their child would be safe. 

He prayed to Merlin and every God that had ever been thought of that his baby would be safe. 

Because he didn’t know what else to do. 

They were meant to go to Gringotts after leaving a false trail for a day or so, to see if anything could be done about a place to live and such, they couldn’t exactly go to the twin’s shop, it was still being warded and designed to the way they wanted it, including a flat for the two of them to live in above the shop. However, about two hours after they had escaped they got a Patronus from Bill saying not to go to Gringotts or the shop because some of the Order were going to be in Diagon Alley until he was found. 

So this, going to Tom, was really the only option they had available. 

Harry supposed he could go to Luna or Neville, he knew they would support him. He had realised that he had a lot more in common with them than he did with Ron and Hermione, and they were his new, secret, best friends. 

But he knew that Dumbledore would try and contact them to see if they had heard from him. He might even just show up out of the blue at their homes to talk to Luna’s dad or Neville’s grandmother. And even though the two adults didn’t like Dumbledore all that much, he just couldn’t risk it. 

He just hoped beyond all hope that he was making the right decision. 

“Harry, the train is in fifteen minutes,” George said, a sadness in his eyes as he looked at his friend. 

Harry just stood and walked between the twins as they left the café and headed towards the last train of their journey. It was a quiet ride, Harry didn’t really want to speak about anything, and the twins didn’t know what they could do to help him. Harry thought they were already doing enough though, just by sticking with him, protecting him and his child, and caring about him as a human being even against their own family was enough for him. 

Merlin knows that the only other people to care for him that way were Bill, Charlie, Luna, Neville, the twins, his original Quidditch team, Lee, and a certain Potions Master who had to pretend to hate them all. 

He supposed that really he could have gone to any of them for help. But he knew that Dumbledore could dig his paws into all of them. And there was something niggling at his mind that he should tell Tom about their miracle. 

He didn’t know what, or even why. 

Maybe he was going crazy. 

He wouldn’t be surprised if he was going crazy given that the last few weeks had been hell, along with just the rest of his life really. 

But he needed to go to Tom. Needed to tell him about their child. Needed safety. Even if it was just until after he gave birth. So long as their child was safe he didn’t care. 

Well, he did. He wanted more than anything to raise his child. He could live with not being able to, however, so long as his child was safe, healthy and happy. 

He was terrified. 

Terrified that his child wasn’t healthy. 

He knew that his magic and shields had been getting weaker, it was hard not to considering how many times it had had to come out over the last six weeks. He stopped counting after the hundredth charm thrown at him, and that isn’t even taking into account the potions in his food and drink.

Anyone who had to use magic that strong for that long would get weaker, and he was. He could feel it in how tired he was, how his magic felt, how lethargic he acted. 

And although the spells and potions didn’t kill his child, he knew that much because he could still feel their magic within him, he didn’t know if they were healthy. If the spells and potions affected him or her in some way. 

The potions were masked in such a way that his body didn’t know they were there until the food had touched his stomach, the shield would then pop up and make him chuck up all the food he had consumed, and even after his stomach was purged.  

If his baby was hurt because of them, because they thought it okay to try and kill an unborn, innocent child just because of their accidental creation and who their father was, Harry didn’t know what he would do. 

He would be beyond angry, of course. They had hurt his child, his unborn child. 

But he considered many of them family. He trusted them. He loved them. And if they had hurt his child with their actions… he would be beyond devastated. He was already devastated at having lost so many people from his life because they couldn’t accept his decision, and for the fact that they had dared to even attempt to kill his child. But if they had succeeded in hurting him or her, the betrayal would be so much worse. So much more painful than it already was. 

Why?

Why did they have to do this to him?

They were supposed to be his family.

They were supposed to care for him. 

They were supposed to help him. 

And yet they did this. 

They turned on him because of something that was a complete accident. In all ways. He hadn’t even had sex to get pregnant, it was a couple of spells that created this life in him and they wanted to tear it away from him. Tear away this chance at true happiness. This chance for a true family. 

He loved this baby more than anything else in the universe, had done since he found out he was pregnant, and yet they wanted to steal them away from him. They wanted to hurt him like that because how dare he want to birth the child of Voldemort. 

He didn’t see why they couldn’t just understand, though. The baby was Tom’s, yes. He was young and not out of school yet, yes. He was a weapon, yes, as much as he hated to admit it he realised now that that was how they saw him. 

But his baby, who hadn’t even been born yet, was innocent. His baby was a new beginning. His baby was half of him, too. Harry. And how could his baby become evil if he was the one to raise it and love it, actually give him or her a decent childhood? Harry knew that nature and nurture was a debate in science of all kinds, but Harry tended to think that nurture was what had the most influence in how a person acted. 

Your experiences are what make you who you are, what your opinions are. 

Tom didn’t have a good childhood, neither did Harry. 

But Harry was raised in a specific way, he knew this now, he had caught parts of conversations between Order members and he now knew they were raising him like a pig for slaughter. 

Harry thought he had people who loved him but they were using him instead. Controlling him. And how could he be controlled if he had a child? How could he be controlled, manipulated, and used as a weapon if he had something good for once in his life? If he had a family? If he had something, someone, to fight for?

Harry didn’t know how much more he could take, but he knew that if his baby was hurt because of what they had attempted, it would tear him apart. He wouldn’t love his baby any less, obviously, but his pain would be greater than anything else. 

He came out of his mind enough to realise that they were exiting the train station, the twins still on either side of him, protecting him even in that small way. 

The walk from the station to the manor where he knew Tom was based on his visions and the baby’s magic telling him instinctively where he was, was tense and silent. It took about half an hour but they had used a lot of muggle public transport since they left, weaving around the country to fool the Order, and they needed the time to gather themselves. To gather their courage. Also, walking helped to keep the Order off their trail somewhat. Going from train station to a bus stop however many miles away on foot so that the Order would be confused.

It helped that no one in the Order truly understood Muggles, they would have no clue what to do. 

They had arrived at the gates of the Manor. 

They looked at the beautiful gardens surrounding the place, and the gorgeous home in the distance. 

Harry’s hand rested on his stomach. 

He was terrified. 

But he knew he had to do this. 

For his baby. 

He rested his hand on the gate, letting his magic tell the owner that he was here. He hoped the man wouldn’t just kill him on sight, but at least then he wouldn’t be in pain. He would be with his parents, who he hoped weren’t actually disappointed in him. He hoped they still loved him for this. For everything. 

And he would be with his baby, also. 

He would be safe. 

But he wanted this to work, somehow. He wanted his baby to live. 

And something, he didn’t know what, was telling him that this was their chance. Their only chance. 

He hoped he was right. 

Chapter Text

Harry saw Tom and a number of his inner circle stalking towards the gates, wands in hand, and yet none of them seemed to want to fire any spells, yet. Harry thought that was a good sign. He hoped so anyway. 

He was surprised at Tom’s appearance though. Instead of the snake face he was used to seeing he now looked like a thirty year old version of his younger self from the diary, except with red eyes. 

The group stopped in front of the gates but made no move to open them. They all had dark looks in their eyes but Harry was happy to see that Severus was there, and that the man had as much fear and worry in his features as he could show Harry. 

Just as Tom went to open his mouth to speak, however, a searing pain surged through Harry’s stomach and he fell to his knees, eyes wide with pain and fear. 

The world seemed to stop for a minute.

His hand clung to his stomach desperately as tears filled his eyes and pain filled him. George dropped down in front of him, eyes wide and panicked. 

“Harry, what’s happening?” George whispered. 

“No. No. I can’t lose my baby, George, I can’t,” Harry muttered, tears falling as his other hand clung to George, needing something to cling to as the pain spread through his abdomen, “Please tell me I’m not losing my baby,” a pained cry escaped him. 

“We need a Healer!” Fred yelled, hand resting on Harry’s shoulder. 

“And what makes you think we will provide a Healer for you, young Weasley?” Tom said. 

“Because if you don’t then you are allowing your unborn child to die,” Fred said, and didn’t that get a reaction. 

There were shocked gasps and cries of outrage from a number of the Death Eaters, Tom scoffed, and Harry cried out in pain, leaning into George as he curled in on himself. 

“There is no way that…” Tom started, but he stopped when Fred cast the spell to show the parents of the child Harry carried, staring in shock and almost awe at the gold words hovering above Harry’s curled body:

Baby Potter-Riddle

Mother: Harry James Potter

Father: Tom Marvolo Riddle

“Narcissa, Severus, heal him,” Tom ordered, and the gates opened, allowing the two to rush over to Harry even despite their shock. 

“Harry, I need you to tell me what you are feeling, okay,” Narcissa said gently as she waved her wand over him, casting a diagnostic spell. 

“It hurts,” Harry cried quietly, uncurling slightly and turning to Severus, “Sev, please don’t let my baby die,”

“My Lord, you need to get over here, now,” Narcissa said worriedly as she looked at the diagnostic results, “Severus, do you have the potion to stop a miscarriage available? It isn’t too late for him to take it,”

Harry looked pleadingly at the man who’s dark eyes were looking at him worriedly, and filled with pain. 

“No, the last of my batch was used at the end of term and I haven’t had the time to make more since,” Severus said apologetically. 

Harry couldn’t stop the sob that escaped. 

“Harry sweetie, it is okay,” Narcissa said gently, stroking his hair gently, concern in her light eyes, “We can slow it down until Severus has the potion ready, it doesn’t take too long to make, supposing you have all the ingredients, Severus,” Severus nodded, “My Lord, we need to get Harry inside, preferably to a bedroom. Could you call one of your elves to take us all there please?” Narcissa said, staring down the Dark Lord who was glaring at her dangerously, “For the sake of your child, My Lord,”

“Tiffy,” a small, well kept house elf appeared, “Take us to the second bedroom in the family wing,”

“Yes Master,” the elf said and snapped her fingers, transporting them instantly to a bedroom that Harry wasn’t able to pay much attention to because the pain was all just too much. 

After everything that had happened, after escaping to try and save his baby and himself, it was all for nothing. His baby was dying, he could feel it. 

They had succeeded. 

They had killed his baby.

The pain was like nothing else he had ever felt, both physically and mentally. 

He saw dark, voluminous robes and felt himself being placed onto a bed but he couldn’t pay much attention to his surroundings, or the voices around him. 

“My Lord, I need you to place your hands on Harry’s stomach and let your magic flow into him. Your child needs you both to stabilise long enough for the potion to be effective,” Narcissa said, her voice strict and her gaze unwavering as she looked at the man who was still glaring at her. 

He sat on the edge of the bed, concern, confusion and awe coursing through him. He just couldn’t help it. Especially whilst he was getting used to having emotions again. Somehow this child was his and he needed to know how. But he also needed to help it. 

He placed his hands on Harry’s stomach and let his magic flow into the boy, sighing in relief when the cries of pain didn’t get worse, the potion Severus gave him to minimise their connection a week ago must have helped.

“Good. Now, you two,” Narcissa turned to the twins, her hands on her hips and her eyes demanding compliance, “I have some questions for you two. I am monitoring things, no need to worry, the magic from My Lord will help stabilise things so they don’t progress to the point where the potion will fail. However, we need to know how this pregnancy occurred. And I need to know why he is severely malnourished, why his magic is depleting, and why his diagnostic charms told me abortion charms and potions have been given to him at least a couple hundred times over the last six weeks,”

Tom looked at her and the twins in shock, pain filling him that he didn’t quite understand, yet at the same time did. 

“Right, well, you know that fight,” Fred started. 

“At the end of the year,” George continued. 

“In Hogsmeade?”

Narcissa nodded. 

“Well, when Lucius hit Harry,” Fred said. 

“With that spell,” George said. 

“At the same time,”

“As Voldie’s blast of magic,”

“It created the baby,”  

“We didn’t know at first,”

“All that showed up was some bruising to the abdomen,”

“But then Harry went home ,”

“And got sick to the point where he fainted,”

“The Order member watching the house took him to Headquarters,”

“And they found out about the baby,”

“They told Harry when he woke up and found a gold shield around him,”

“They had tried to abort the baby, but failed,”

“Harry didn’t want an abortion,”

“He wants the baby,”

“But they kept throwing the charms at him,”

“All the time,”

“Then they got creative and started putting the potion in his food,”

“But each time the shield would appear,”

“And stop the abortion from happening,”

“But Harry’s magic was getting weaker the longer it lasted,”

“And the more they did it,”

“So we knew we had to get him out of there,”

“So we, and our oldest two brothers,”

“Broke him out,”

“We were going to go to Gringotts,”

“To see if Harry had any properties we could escape to,”

“After we had laid a false trail,”

“But Bill told us that they had someone stationed at Gringotts,”

“So we couldn’t go there,”

“Then Harry decided to come to you,”

“Because he thought Voldie deserved to know about his child,”

“And he wanted to stop fighting and running,”

“And he wanted a safe place for the baby,”

“And he hoped that you would provide one,”

“So here we are,”

“But Harry has been struggling to eat,”

“Because of the potions being in his food,”

“And his stress,”

“And fear,”

“And because his relatives starved him his whole life,”

“He just wants to be safe,”

“For his child to be safe,”

“But he never has been safe,”

“But if he is safe he should be able to start eating again,”

“At least as much as he can handle at the moment,”

“With his morning sickness,”

“And the starvation,”

“We protected Harry as much as we could at Headquarters,”

“So did Bill and Charlie but they did so more discreetly so they could spy for us,”

“But we had to leave too because they started attacking us for protecting him and the spawn he carried,”

“And we can’t abandon our brother,”

“Not after everything,”

They finished, both looking and feeling sad as they watched their brother crying on the bed, in more pain than they could ever imagine. They were hoping, praying to Merlin, that the potion would be made on time. They couldn’t bear it if Harry lost his child after all the pain and betrayal that had already happened. They knew that Harry wouldn’t be able to cope with it either. 

“They were keeping him prisoner?” Tom asked incredulously, anger in his voice. 

“Yes, sir. Us too once they realised we were helping him. They wanted to make him see the error of his ways. Keep him hidden and isolated until he relented and let them abort the baby,” Fred said, anger in his voice too. 

“He is terrified that the baby has been damaged because of all the spells and potions. Even though his magic stopped the baby from dying it was getting weaker and he is worried that maybe something slipped in. We all are,” George said, a tear slipping out of his eye as he looked at his brother. 

“Right,” Narcissa said, fury in her eyes at what the Order, the so-called ‘Light’ side had done to this young man on the bed, “Thank you. I won’t be able to do an in depth scan on the baby until Harry is thirty three weeks along. Unfortunately. However, I can heal him, and give him the correct pre-natal and nutrition potions to help himself and the baby. I know he might not like it, which is understandable, but he needs them,”

Harry could hear the words being spoken now, the physical pain slightly lessened by the extra magic surging through him. He looked at the man who was his baby’s father and was shocked by the fear and awe in his eyes, not that there was much of it, the man was clearly trying to hide and control his emotions, but they were there. 

Harry felt a little bit of hope in his heart that maybe he had made the right choice, but that hope was gone with the next cramp that coursed through his belly and he cried out. 

Narcissa sat next to him and stroked his hair lovingly, “Harry child, I need you to breathe for me, okay. I know it is difficult, I know how tough this is, but you need to remain as calm as possible,”

“I can’t be calm,” he bit out, trying to glare at her but not having the energy to do so. 

“I know. I really do. But the more stressed you are… We need to stall this as long as possible so that Severus can make the potion you need and you can be given it on time. And remaining as calm as you can will allow your magic to calm down, which will then stress out the baby less. I know you don’t have any reason to, but please, trust me when I say that I know how difficult this is. But you need to breathe, and you need to help your magic, and your baby calm down. I know it has been a stressful pregnancy so far, that you haven’t had the chance to rest. But you can now, you are safe now,” she said and glared at Tom, who was glaring at her. 

“Tom hasn’t said anything yet. We’re not safe,” Harry whispered. 

“You are safe. I am sure this isn’t how you wanted this to go, Harry. I will give you the chance to talk about what you wanted to talk about when you are better. But I am not going to hurt you, or the baby, or your twins,” Tom said, though Harry noticed a tightness in his face, even despite the slight softness in his eyes, at the mention of his true name. 

Harry tried to believe him, he really did. But nearly everyone he cared about had let him down, betrayed him in a way he never thought they could. Now he was here, with his once enemy and he didn’t know what to believe. He could feel truth in the magic that was pouring into his body, but he was so used to pain and loss and betrayal at that point that he just couldn’t fully believe it. 

Harry closed his eyes and tried to take some deep, calming breaths, despite the pain he was in. He felt the mattress lower on either side of his head and opened them again to find Fred and George sitting on either side of him, looking down at him with love and worry in their eyes. 

“It’s okay, Harry,” George said, running his fingers through Harry’s hair gently. 

“Everything will be okay,” Fred said, holding Harry’s hand. 

“How can you be so sure?” Harry chuckled darkly. 

“Because we’re here. And we will do everything we can to protect you and our niece or nephew,” Fred said, determination emanating from his face and voice. 

“And because you, Bill, Charlie and Percy are the only people we can truly call family. You have done so much for us, Harry. You have cared for us in ways that even our parents couldn’t. Now it is our turn to look after you,” George said. 

A sob tore through Harry’s throat as another pain shot through his stomach. 

“I don’t want to lose my baby,” Harry cried. 

“And you won’t,” Fred said. 

“Sev will give you the potion on time,” George said.

“And everything will be okay,”

“We haven’t come this far just to lose it all now,”

Harry nodded but he struggled to believe them. It hurt too much. 

Harry didn’t know how long they were there before Severus arrived with the potion in his hand. He was rather lost in the pain of everything. Severus sat next to him, Fred and George helped him sit up and then he gulped down the potion, almost praying for relief. 

They waited with bated breaths as Narcissa looked over the scan results and sighed in relief when she told them the baby was stabilising. 

Harry couldn’t help but cry himself to sleep, curled in a ball around his stomach. 

…

When he woke up again he found himself still curled in a ball and Severus was sitting beside him, looking at him worriedly. He looked around the room, still not really taking anything in as he was too out of it, but he did notice that no one else was with them. 

“Where are the twins?” Harry asked, concerned. 

“Narcissa showed them to a bedroom about an hour ago so they could get some sleep,” Severus said and Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he slowly sat up, his hand on the tiny bump of his stomach. 

“Have they filled you in on what has happened?” Harry said, looking down at his legs. 

“Yes. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you. Why didn’t you write to me?” Severus asked. 

“I tried, so did the twins. But they added wards preventing owls from getting out. And they put wards on the floo to make sure we couldn’t use it to get to you. They also didn’t tell Kingsley, who hasn’t been to Headquarters since before the beginning of this whole debacle according to the twins. We would have gone to your house once we escaped but we knew that you would be dragged into it at some point once we had gone missing and they would have gone to your house to search for you,”

“Well, I’d imagine that if they had told Kingsley then he would have stopped them, or gotten you out of there. And, if you had come to me then I would have been able to take you to my Manor. No one knows about it other than me, you now also, so you would have been safe there. I won’t fault you, though, since you didn’t know about it. But you should have trusted that I would have done something to keep you safe,”

“I do trust you, Sev. You have looked after me and saved my life more than anyone else has. I just didn’t want to drag you into it when you already have enough on your plate. And… And I figured that Tom deserved to know. I-I don’t really know anything about the war, I have just been chucked into everything. But I know a few things about Tom. Before he became the Dark Lord he was kinda like me. And I figured, maybe there was a little bit of him that was still like that. Still just an orphan boy who wanted a family, or just someone who gave a shit. I knew you would be here, too. For some of the time anyway. Because you were on a mission, at least, according to Dumbledore you were. So I knew if I came you could help me. And if not, then at least I would be with my baby and my parents, right?”

Severus hugged him, and he melted into it. It wasn’t their first hug, he had had his fair share after they had become close during Harry’s second year. Severus had tried to get him removed from the Dursleys but no matter what he did Dumbledore or the Ministry would get in the way. So Severus looked after him and protected him in other ways. Almost like a father. Although he was closer to how Harry imagined a mother to be, not that Harry would ever say that aloud. 

But this hug was probably the most meaningful of the ones they had shared over the past few years. He could feel Severus’ worry emanating from the usually stern man. He could also feel the caring side that Severus was forced to hide from the world because of the old man. And he soaked it up because he needed it more than anything else at the moment. 

Well, almost anything else. 

“Is my baby okay?” Harry asked quietly. 

“Yes, from what we can tell at the moment your baby is just fine at the moment. We can do a more in depth scan at thirty three weeks to find out more,” Harry breathed a sigh of almost relief, but he knew he would spend the next twenty three weeks worrying about any potential damage caused by the spells and potions. 

“How is Tom taking it? Why does he look different? Is he going to kill me?” 

“He looks different because of a potion I made for him that repaired the damage he has sustained over the years to his looks and sanity. His eyes are something he didn’t want changed though because he likes red eyes for whatever reason. He is angry at Dumbledore and the Order for keeping you prisoner and trying to kill your child. He is thinking of ways of getting back at them. And he will be keeping you here and protecting you and the baby, as well as the twins. Myself and the oldest two Weasley children will be spying on the Order, and Percy Weasley will be spying on the Ministry alongside the few others who are already stationed there. He will not be killing you, or the Weasleys here with you, along with anyone else you do not want him to hurt. But he is looking for revenge for you and the child,”

Harry nodded, “I suppose him and I will be talking at some point about… everything,”

“Yes. When you are feeling up to it,”

“Is… Are you okay?”

“Harry,” Severus pulled back slightly to look down at him with concern in his eyes, “I am beyond angry at what the Order did to you, tried to do to you. And I will be making sure they all get the punishments they deserve for hurting you in such a way, especially the ones you loved. And I am worried about you, as always, and your child. But I will be with you both through everything if that is what you want,”

“I know, Sev. And I want you there for everything. I don’t think I can do this without you. But I… does he know? Does he know that you have been protecting and looking after me?”

“Yes, him and I talked after Narcissa and the twins left. He didn’t hurt me, though, if that is what you are worried about. He is sane now, and he understands why. He has also been working on new plans since taking the potions. However, we can talk about that another time since I can see how tired you are. You need your rest, child,”

“Will you stay with me?” Harry asked, almost desperately. 

“Always,” 

Severus laid them both down, keeping his arms around Harry and pulling him close. 

Harry slept better than he had in months that night.

Chapter Text

Harry woke with a groan and barely managed to sit up enough to vomit into the bowl Severus held in front of him just in time to catch what came up, which was mostly just bile to be honest. Severus rubbed his back gently and whispered comforting things to him which Harry could barely pay attention to over the pain in his chest and the taste in his mouth. 

“Sev,” Harry groaned as he laid back down, hand clutching his stomach. 

“I’m here, Harry,” Severus said gently. 

“What is the date?” Harry asked after a few moments of deep, shaky breaths, “The last few weeks have been kind of a blur,”

“It’s the thirty first of August,” Severus said, placing the lips of a vial against Harry’s, causing Harry to look at him with wide eyes. Severus looked sadly at him, but his eyes held some understanding also, “It’s a morning sickness reliever. I also have a nutrient potion and pre-natal vitamin potion for you to have with breakfast,” 

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled before gulping the potion down and sighing in relief as his stomach stopped lurching. 

“There is no need to apologise, Harry. It is completely understandable,” 

“Erm, why aren’t you at Hogwarts? I mean, term starts tomorrow, and of course I want you here, need you here really, but Dumbledore,”

“Has given me leave for a year,” Severus cut him off, shocking Harry with his words.

“Really? Why?”

“I went to him this morning and told him the Dark Lord needed me to go away for a while to do some research and to try and recruit some more potion masters to the Dark. Dumbledore has bid me leave for the year to do so but to actually try and sway them to the Light, somehow, without the Dark Lord finding out. But in any case it is mostly a ruse so that I can stay here and help you. Not that Dumbledore knows that. He has no clue you have come here,”

“You’re gonna stay with me?” Harry said, tears springing to his eyes as he looked at the man.

“Always, Harry,” Severus said, running his fingers gently through Harry’s hair. 

“Why would he agree to it, though?”

“Well, given that he also didn’t tell me that you had gone missing, I have to presume, based on the excited gleam in his twinkling eyes that he agreed to have me go away so that he wouldn’t have to tell me when you never showed up at Hogwarts. He would have to tell me then because of my vow to protect you. And I would have then been forced to find you and protect you, and at that point it would have been to protect you from him and the Order, since they were hurting you. I would have protected you from them even without the vow, though,”

There was a knock on the door and Harry flinched, Severus rubbed his arm gently and called out to them. The twins entered the room with a large tray of hot food that smelled amazing to Harry. But he was nervous as he sat up and it was placed in the centre of the bed. 

He saw that there were four plates containing a basic full English breakfast, though without the eggs because the smell of them made Harry sick. There were also four glasses of orange juice.

Harry’s stomach grumbled but he was scared. 

“Harry,” Fred said as he and George sat down opposite Harry and Severus, “It’s okay. George and I made this ourselves,”

“There are no potions, poisons or any other additions that will hurt you or the baby. Just food and orange juice. We even didn’t do eggs because we know the smell of them makes you sick,”

“Harry, child,” Severus said, and Harry tore his eyes away from the food, “You need to eat,”

“I know,” Harry whispered. 

“I know you’re scared. I know you have been through something that should never have happened to you. But you can trust the twins to make you food  that doesn’t have any additives. They have never given you a bad potion before, have they?”

Harry shook his head, and his stomach grumbled again. 

“Then give it a go, Harry. For yourself, and for your baby. And it’s okay if you can’t eat all of it, but you need to eat something,”

“O-okay. I’ll try,” Harry said quietly, and they smiled at him. 

The large tray divided into 4 smaller trays and Severus put Harry’s on his lap before taking one for himself, and three of them dug into their food, Severus complimenting the twins on their cooking, and the twins blushing at them, not used to many compliments. 

Harry, however, stared at the food for another minute or so before picking up the piece of toast that sat on a side plate and starting to nibble on it. He sighed gratefully when no shield appeared and he didn’t start vomiting, and he continued to eat, but he took it slow. 

He only managed to eat about half of the food on his plate before he had to stop, his stomach full. Severus handed him the potions and he drank them, grimacing at the taste of them before gulping down some of his orange juice. 

“Thank you,” Harry said, sighing slightly as he placed his hand on his stomach and felt the little ball of magic in him, telling him that his baby was alive. 

“Where’s Tom?” Harry asked. 

“He’s in a meeting,” Fred said, “He said he would be up afterwards to check on you, and talk if you are feeling up to it,”

Harry nodded, looking down, unsure of what he wanted, or felt up to. Honestly part of him just wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep for all of eternity. Though, admittedly, that part was rather small-ish. It was definitely getting smaller the more time he spent away from the Order. 

He climbed slowly out of the bed, his legs shaking slightly as he clung to the blankets. 

“Where’s the bathroom?” Harry asked Severus, who was looking at him in concern. 

“Just through there,” Severus said, pointing over to a door on the other side of the room. 

Harry nodded in thanks and walked slowly over to the door, leaning back against it when he had entered and closed the door behind him. He took in some deep, shaky breaths to steady himself and walked over to the sink, looking at himself in the large mirror above it. He had dark circles over his eyes from lack of sleep. His eyes were also bloodshot, though he didn’t know if it was from lack of sleep or the tears he had cried recently. Though he suspected it was both. 

He was skinnier than he had ever been, which he had thought was impossible to be honest, he knew how skinny he was before Hogwarts came crashing into his life. But despite that, when he pressed his hands around his stomach, causing the baggy t-shirt he was wearing to pull up against it, he could still see a tiny bump. He was sure that no one else would be able to notice it with how small it was. But where there was once quidditch toned abs, there was now a tiny baby bump. 

And Merlin was he so impossibly glad that it was still there. 

His baby was still there. 

His little ball of magic was still there. 

Still growing. 

Heart still beating. 

His knees finally buckled and he fell, letting the tears escape his eyes as his heart filled with fear, and love, and joy, and hope, and that bitter sting of betrayal as the memories of the last few weeks flashed over and over again before his eyes. The memories of the previous day. 

The feeling of his tiny ball of magic slowly dying. 

Because of them .

Because the people he used to think of as his family decided to try and kill his baby. 

His little one. 

He curled into a ball around his stomach and he let go. 

He screamed. 

He cried. 

His magic flared out around him.

There was banging on the door, and he heard people calling his name.

He saw a flash of black robes that soon held him in his arms, rocking him and whispering soothing words. But Harry just cried. 

“Harry, child, are you in pain?” he heard Severus ask when he had calmed down enough to properly pay attention to what was happening around him. 

“Not physically, no,” Harry muttered into the robes. 

Severus rubbed his back gently and they stayed silent for a little while, Harry just soaking up the warmth and comfort from Severus.

“Do you want a bath? It might help you to relax a bit,” Severus said. 

“Will you stay with me?” Harry said, needing the older man close to him. 

“Always,” Severus whispered. 

Severus moved them over to the bath and started running it, pouring in some lavender scented bubbles and making sure it was just the right temperature. 

“Are you sure you want me to stay, Harry?” he asked gently as he lowered Harry to the floor. 

“Mhm,” Harry nodded, turning around and slowly taking off his clothes. 

He climbed shakily, with Severus’ help, into the bath and laid down in it, letting his neck and head rest against a small pillow that Severus rested at the head of the bath. His hands went to his bump again, needing to feel the ball of magic. His lips twitched slightly when he saw Severus sit on the floor next to the bath, and sighed when Severus started running his fingers through his hair. 

“Thank you, for saving my baby,” Harry muttered. 

“You have no need to thank me, Harry,” Severus said. 

“But I felt… I felt them dying, then you gave me the potion, and it got better. You saved them, just like you keep saving me, you deserve thanks for that. And for looking after me when you don’t need to,”

“I know, child,” Severus’ eyes showed more pain than Harry had ever seen in them, but he didn’t ask, he didn’t want to invade the man’s privacy like that, “You also know that I would do anything for you, and now for your child also. You deserve to have someone care for you, Harry. You don’t deserve any of the crap you have been through so far in your short life. I am sorry that I couldn’t take you away from it before, but you are away from it now. You are safe now. I promise,”

Harry just nodded, not sure what to say. 

“Am I safe?” Harry asked after a few moments. 

“From Tom, yes. He is determined to protect you and your child from Dumbledore and the Order especially. He is going to have a meeting with all of the Death Eaters tomorrow night where he will be explaining everything, and that you are now off limits, as well as the punishments for any of them attempting to harm you or the baby. And if any of them dare to try anything then they will be punished,”

Harry nodded again.

“What do you think my parents would say about me wanting to keep my baby?”

“I… I can’t say that I would know for sure, especially in regards to your father,” Severus said, “But your mother, I am sure she would understand. She gave her life for yours, and she loved you more than life itself. It’s hard not to when you feel the little ball of magic in your stomach, which I am sure you have been feeling since before you even knew you were pregnant,” Harry nodded, he had been confused by the magic he was feeling but even despite that confusion he had felt good about it, not once did it feel like something bad, or worry him, or anything. 

“She would have wanted you to do what felt right for you, and if keeping your baby was that then she would have agreed, and she would still love you, even despite the father. It’s not your fault, it’s not Tom’s fault, and it isn’t the baby’s fault. Your father loved you also, died for you also, and I am sure Lily let him feel your magic before you were born. I believe that he, also, would have understood you wanting to keep your child,”

“But… Sirius, Remus…”

“Whatever they told you, Harry, don’t listen to it. Neither of them have carried or birthed a child. And even though they were your father’s best friends, were they even that good if they were trying to hurt his child and grandchild? They are just bigots who couldn’t see past your child’s paternity, even if it wasn’t Tom’s fault, even though you wouldn’t have raised your child in a way which would have led to them being a Dark Lord. They are bigots who didn’t care enough to listen to you, to how you felt, who tried to take your rightful choice away from you. Yes, you are sixteen now, fifteen then, but it was still your choice, your child. They had no right to try and take your child from you, none of them did,” Severus said with conviction.

“They told me my parents would hate me. That they would be disappointed in me. That I am wasting their sacrifice. That my baby is a monster. That I am…”

“And they are wrong, Harry. Your parent’s wouldn’t hate you, not for this. You aren’t wasting their sacrifice. They sacrificed themselves so you could live. Having a child is part of life for many people. I am sure they wanted that for you, a family. Your baby certainly is not a monster, nor will it ever be. And you are the strongest, bravest, most amazing child I have ever had the pleasure to meet. You didn’t deserve anything they said to you, anything they tried to do to you. They should be here for you, supporting you and your child. Like James would want them to do. But they aren’t, and it is entirely their own faults, not yours,”

“The twins heard some of them talking a-about locking me up with Moony on the full moon,” Harry sobbed, “I-I don’t think my m-magic would have been able to p-protect me from that,”

Severus’ eyes widened in shock and he leaned forward to kiss Harry’s head. 

“You won’t need to worry about werewolves on full moons here, Harry. I promise. If anyone even thinks about it then I will personally torture the hell out of them, before I kill them,”

“B-but what if Dumbledore tells the Ministry because he can’t find me, and I have to go back because I’m not of age yet and he is my magical guardian?” 

“I seriously doubt that Dumbledore will be telling anyone that he has lost you. Especially now that everyone knows the Dark Lord is back. And we can always go and speak to the goblins about getting you, and the twins just in case he tries something with them, a new guardian. Just in case. But also to see about your inheritance and such. And, we can put plans in place to ensure you never have to go near any of the Order again, and to ensure they are all punished accordingly for what they did to you,”

“But what if he goes to the Ministry and tells them about my baby and they decide my baby needs to be raised by someone else to make sure they don’t become dark ,”

“Harry, myself and everyone here with you will do everything we can to ensure that that will never happen. If you want, I can bring Kingsley in also for some extra support. And we can get the general public on your side also, so that should they attempt it, the public would ridicule them. In any case, it is against the law of our world to take a magical child away from their mother without the mother’s permission. Lady Magic, and both the Wizengamot and ICW, would punish anyone that even dared to try to take your baby from you rather severely. And that is nothing compared to what myself, Tom, Kingsley, the Death Eaters, the twins, Bill, Charlie, and your other friends would do to them,

“In any case, that would only really be likely to happen if you were to give birth in Saint Mungo's or another hospital. Which, considering how much you hate hospitals, I am sure will not be happening. It is important to be in a place you feel comfortable when you give birth. So, you can give birth here, or somewhere else you feel comfortable. And the only people who need to be there with you are the people you want there,”

“Will you be there?” Harry asked.

“If that is what you want, then yes, I will be there, Harry,”

“Good,” Harry nodded, sighing in relief, “When… when am I due?”

“The end of March,” Severus smiled slightly when Harry smiled. 

“And, do you know if they are a boy or a girl yet?”

“Unfortunately not, babies don’t start developing genitalia until about fourteen weeks. We haven’t done a magical or inheritance test on you, which would show based on your baby’s magic, what your baby is. We just did basic health exams. Do you want to know?”

“Erm… I don’t know yet. I just wanted to know if you knew,”

“That’s okay. We can wait. Although if we go to Gringotts any time in the next four weeks then you are likely to find out as they will require an inheritance test,”

“Okay,” Harry said, stroking his belly gently.

“Are you ready to wash yourself? Or do you need more time to relax?” Severus asked. 

“Erm, yeah. Can you wash my hair for me, though, please?” Harry whispered the last part. 

He had thought of Severus as a parent for a while now, more of a mother figure if he was honest with himself, but he didn’t want to tell Severus that. He was scared of being rejected because of it. So instead he soaked up all the moments with the man that he could.

“Of course,” Severus said, smiling at Harry slightly and helping Harry sit up. 

The gentle way in which Severus washed his hair helped to relax Harry even more. It also made Harry wish that Severus was his parent even more. Not that anyone would ever know his desire. It would just be ripped from him like everything else. 

“Harry, are you okay?” it was then that he noticed he was crying. 

“Yeah, just…” he didn’t know what to say. 

Severus nodded in understanding anyway, and went back to washing his hair. When he was done with his hair, Severus gave Harry some body wash and a soft sponge and turned around, because Harry didn’t want him to leave, so that Harry could wash himself without Severus seeing. Not that it really mattered, Harry supposed. 

He was soon out of the bath and brushing his teeth, and washing his face, then he was back in bed. 

“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Severus asked, “Do you need anything?”

“Maybe some juice,” Harry said, smiling internally although his heart twisted in pain also. 

“Would you be okay with a house elf bringing it up? Or would you like me to go and make it for you?”

“Where are the twins?” Harry asked nervously, he didn’t want to be alone, but he didn’t know if he would be able to drink it if a house elf brought it to him. 

“They panicked when you screamed and I sent them away for a little while to calm down once we saw you and didn’t see any signs of physical pain, or blood, or anything,”

“Erm… can you do a Patronus?” Harry asked, worrying his lip between his teeth. 

“Yes,” Severus said gently, “Would you like me to send it to the twins to get a drink for you?”

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, watching in awe as Severus produced his doe Patronus and sent it off to the twins with a message. 

“What… What does a doe Patronus mean?” Harry asked, still in awe of it. 

Severus blushed slightly, looking down at his knees, “The doe is fiercely protective of it’s loved ones, and shows a caring and nurturing nature. The doe represents a gentleness, yet a strong determination, and has a high level of intuition and sensitivity. It battles life’s challenges with the utmost grace and vigilance. Dumbledore, however, believes it is because he believes I am in love with your mother,” Harry looked at him, shocked, “I am not in love with your mother, I am gay. She was my best friend, but I was never in love. She was like a sister to me, if anything. Nevertheless, I let him believe what he wants to believe because I don’t want him to find out certain things about me,”

“So, your Patronus can be the same as the person you love?”

“It can be, yes. Although most of the time, if your Patronus changes because of love, it changes to the typical partner of the animal in question, or something that has some significant meaning to the animal of your spouse. It usually isn’t exactly the same. Lily and I just were rather similar people when we learned how to do the Patronus. Most of the time, your Patronus represents you as a person, not your love life, though,”

Harry nodded in understanding. 

The twins soon arrived with Harry’s juice and asked Harry if he was okay. 

To be truthfully honest with himself, he wouldn’t be okay for a while, he knew that. But he didn’t say that. He couldn’t voice it. 

But he wanted to. 

He wanted to be able to voice how he was feeling. 

But he didn’t know how.

Chapter Text

“Harry, child, are you okay to talk to the Dark Lord now?” Severus said, gently waking Harry up from his nap. 

Harry moaned but nodded and sat up, resting tiredly against Severus’ side. Though he perked up when he saw that Tom was already sitting on the bed, looking at him with eyes which most would have called blank, though Harry could see awe hidden within their red depths. 

“Sorry,” Harry muttered.

“It’s okay, Harry. You have been through quite the ordeal,” Tom said evenly, and Harry thought he could hear and see concern, “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted. And yourself?” 

“I am okay, thank you,” Tom said. Harry thought he looked rather unsure of what to say next, “What… What did you expect to happen when you came here, Harry?”

Harry shrugged, “I don’t know, really. I… Part of me was sure that it would be a big green ending, but that part of me, plus a bit more, didn’t really mind because at least then I would be with my baby, and my parents, and I would be safe, and free of pain. Then another part of me hoped that you would let the twins and I live, at least long enough for me to have the baby, and hopefully hold them at least once before the big green ending,

“I mean, I don’t know if you have ever wanted kids, but it is your baby, too, and you deserved to know. Even if I would have died at some point, at least the baby would be safe, wherever they ended up. A small part of me was hoping, though, that you would let me, and the twins, live long enough for me to have a part in raising my baby. I wasn’t sure, though, and I didn’t care so long as the baby was safe. I also felt like you should know so that you and your people could punish them, if you wanted to anyway,”

“They will be punished, Harry. No worries there,” Tom said fiercely. 

Harry just nodded. 

“I won’t kill you, the baby, or your twins, either,”

“You might want to when I tell you the prophecy,”

The two older men looked at him in shock.

“Harry, how do you know about the prophecy?” Severus asked. 

Harry chuckled darkly, “He told me at the end of last year. He thought it was ‘finally time’ for me to know,” 

“He told me he had no plans to tell you, ever,” Severus said, anger in his voice, “I wanted to tell you, but he had me under another vow to never reveal it to anyone who didn’t already know,”

“It’s okay, Severus. I know you would have told me if you could,” Harry said, smiling at the man. 

“Harry, the prophecy, whatever it says, it doesn’t matter. Not anymore,” Tom said, and Harry looked at him in shock. 

“But-”

“Harry, yes, when I was out of my mind, I was scared of the prophecy. But I wasn’t myself. For a number of reasons. And I wasn’t thinking clearly. I am sorry for… your parents. And for everything else that Severus has told me about, especially in regards to your time at Hogwarts. But Harry, no matter what the prophecy says, I’m not going to kill you. You came here of your own accord, you have left the Light. That alone has pretty much given me the war. Plus, no matter how it came to happen, you are carrying my baby, and have done everything you can to keep him or her safe since finding out about them, including bringing them and yourself to me,

“I may not have seemed like it before, what with my insanity, and my emotions locked away from me, but… One of the things I had always wanted growing up was a family. I lost sight of that dream when my mind cracked. But now that I have my sanity and emotions back I remember it. When the baby was… I was terrified that the dream that I had just had realised was about to be lost. I may not be good with my emotions yet, I am still getting used to them after all, but I want the baby. I want to be it’s dad. And I want you to be it’s mum, because Merlin knows I won’t be able to raise a child on my own, not after everything. I am sorry, for everything. And I know it will take time for us to be anything close to friends, but know that I am not going to kill you, your friends, or our baby. Not for anything,”

Harry wasn’t sure when he had started crying, and he wasn’t sure why he was crying either, but he decided to blame his hormones. 

“Are you okay?” Tom asked, worried. 

“Yeah, just hormones,” Harry said, laughing slightly, “Do you want to know the prophecy?”

“No, Harry. It doesn’t matter, not anymore. Prophecies are self-fulfilling. If we don’t fulfil it then it means nothing,”

“But it’s already started being fulfilled,” Harry said, confused. 

“Hm, by a mistake I made with my broken mind. Had my mind been clear, and functional, I would have never even considered coming after babies. Not even to potentially save my own life. Magical children are special, no matter where they come from. And just because we have started it, it doesn’t mean we have to finish it. We can call it quits, right now, and never have to consider it again,”

“Are you sure?” Harry asked, his voice wavering with confusion and almost fear. 

“You aren’t my enemy, Harry. You never should have been. And now that you have escaped the people who were attempting to use you for their own gain, you are free to do what you want, both in the war, and in life. I won’t hurt you. I won’t fight you. I swear on my magic to protect and look after you and our child to the best of my abilities, for the rest of my life, so mote it be,” there was a sharp snap of magic around Tom and Harry sucked in his breath. 

“You didn’t need to do that,” Harry said. 

“Hm, perhaps I did, though. You wouldn’t have believed me otherwise, that you and our baby will be safe. It is understandable after what you have endured these past few weeks, let alone everything else. But it is a vow I have no intention of breaking, and not because of the threat to my magic. But that is something you will come to believe with time, safety, and care,”

Harry just nodded again, unsure of what to say. He yawned. 

“I will leave you to get some more sleep. We will talk about my original goals when you have had more time to recover,” Tom said gently, moving to stand from the bed, only for Harry to stop him with a hand on his arm. 

Tom looked at Harry questioningly, though concerned when he saw the boy’s nervousness. 

“Erm, do you want to feel the baby’s magic? Properly I mean, without…” he trailed off, not particularly wanting to even think about what almost happened. 

Tom looked at Harry in awe and shock. 

“Are you sure you are comfortable with that?” Tom whispered. 

Harry just nodded and gently guided Tom’s hand to his stomach, idly wondering if the man felt the tiny bump there like he did, he laid his hand over Tom’s and let his and their baby’s magic flow out of him so that Tom could feel them. 

The look of amazement on Tom’s face as they felt their little one’s magic made Harry smile. 

After a few moments of silence Harry yawned again and Tom slowly, hesitantly, removed his hand from Harry’s belly. 

“Get some sleep, Harry. We’ll talk more soon,” the red-eyed man said gently. 

Harry nodded, lying down and cuddling into Severus, who was still sitting next to him, letting Harry lean on him and soak up the comfort he provided. 

Tom left the room and Harry yawned again, not caring that he was being rather childish by cuddling into the man he secretly thought of as some kind of mother figure. But he relished in the feel of those long fingers running gently through his hair. 

“It’s okay, Harry. You’re safe now, so is your baby,” Severus said gently. 

“I know,” Harry whispered, “But you’ll still stay with me, right?”

“Always,”

Chapter Text

Harry was looking down at his baby, his beautiful baby, who was finally in his arms. The baby, a little girl, had a head of fine black hair and despite only being born a few hours before, her eyes were green, like Harry’s, although they had a few red specks in them that were just… perfect. 

Everything about her was perfect. 

And he was so in love with her. 

His little one. 

His daughter. 

His baby. 

Severus entered the room and Harry smiled up at him briefly before looking back at his baby girl. 

Severus opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out of his mouth was a pained gasp that made Harry look up at the man he loved like a mother. 

Harry’s heart clenched in pain at the sight of the sword that impaled the man’s chest and the growing pool of blood on the white shirt he was wearing. 

“Sev…” Harry whispered painfully, eyes growing wet with tears as the man fell to the floor. 

Harry scrambled off the bed, carefully, and knelt next to the dying man, “Sev, please…”

Severus’ eyes started to blink closed as the man’s breath rattled painfully and blood dribbled out of his mouth. 

“Please, mum, don’t leave me,” Harry cried, “You said you would always be with me. Always. I need you, mummy, please,”

“I… lo-” Severus choked on the blood pouring out of his mouth, and with one last rattle…

“No, no, no, no, no,” Harry muttered, gently shaking Severus with one hand, “Please, wake up. Wake up, mum. I need you. I can’t-”

“Isn’t this cute?” a very familiar grandfatherly voice said and Harry shot up, holding his baby close as he looked at the man grinning at him from the doorway. 

“Wh-What are you doing here? How did you get in? Where’s Tom?” Harry said shakily as he backed into the corner. 

“Tom’s dead. The Order broke down the wards. And I killed him, along with the twins who betrayed us,” Harry shook his head in denial, tears spilling faster down his cheeks, “And I am here for that precious baby girl of yours,”

“No,” he held his baby close. 

Or he tried to but his arms collapsed against his chest and he looked down to find nothing. His baby wasn’t there.

She wasn’t in his arms. 

He looked at the man in horror when he realised that his baby girl was in the arms of the one who had tried so hard to kill her. He shook in pain at the delighted, evil grin on the elderly face as he looked at the baby he now held. 

Harry’s baby. 

“Give her back!” Harry said shakily as his magic bubbled on the surface, wanting to burst out and yet not quite being able to. 

“Oh, I don’t think so, my boy. Not just yet anyway,” Dumbledore chuckled, removing something from his pocket that Harry couldn’t see. 

At least not until the old hand was hovering above his baby girl’s chest and he saw the glint of a small blade. 

“No!” He screamed, trying to get closer to them, only to be held back by two sets of strong arms, “No! Please! Don’t do this! She’s innocent. She’s done nothing wrong. She’s a baby. My baby,”

He looked briefly at the people holding him and his heart lurched at the sight of Sirius and Remus grinning at him as they held his struggling body away from his daughter. 

His little baby. 

“Please!” Harry pleaded with a sob, “She’s my baby,”

“She’s a monster,” Sirius snarled.

Why wouldn’t his magic work?

Why couldn’t he get to his baby?

“She’s not a monster,” Harry growled back through his sobs, “She’s done nothing wrong,”

“Yet,” Dumbledore smirked at Harry, “With a father like hers she needs to be fixed before she can cause any trouble. With her death the war will be over, Harry. Then you can have all the babies you want with someone decent and proper,”

“No, she’s my baby. There’s nothing wrong with her. Please! Don’t do this!”

Her throat was slit. 

She fell to the floor in a bloody heap of blankets. 

Harry screamed, his magic finally breaking free and forcing the three men away from him and into the walls. 

He collapsed to his knees, sobs ripping from his throat as he crawled to her tiny body, the sight of the blue skin and blood making him want to vomit.

He shot up in the bed and stumbled out of it and over to the en-suite as quickly as he could, tears streaming down his cheeks as he collapsed in front of the toilet and retched. 

He felt weak as he vomited what little was in his stomach between the sobs that continued to tear through him at the images still flashing in front of his eyes. He was shaking, but that calmed somewhat when he felt a large, warm hand on his back, rubbing gently. 

“Harry,” a gentle, deep voice said and he flinched. 

He couldn’t help it. 

He was still lost in the dream. 

The dream in which the man was murdered in front of him. 

When he was done vomiting he collapsed back into the man’s arms and just laid there, crying, legs sprawled out on the floor as he shook with pain. 

“Mum,” he muttered, not quietly enough if the widening of the black orbs were anything to go by, though. 

“No. No. You’re not meant to know. I can’t say. I can’t. No. Sev. You’re Sev,” Harry said, shaking as he tried to get away from the man, not wanting the rejection along with everything else. 

But Severus held him close, not letting him go anywhere as he rocked him gently. 

“It’s okay, baby, I’ve got you. It was just a dream,” Severus said gently, looking at Harry with awe and… love in his eyes, “And you may call me whatever you want to, Harry. You have been a son to me for a while now, and if you want to call me ‘mum’ then I will gladly accept the honour. And I was hoping to get some goblins over; since that is probably best than actually getting you to Gringotts with the guard the Order has there; so we can sort out new guardians for you and the twins. I know the twins are technically adults now, but there are always loopholes for if people are in danger, and we can have something arranged to make sure their parents and Dumbledore can’t do anything with or to them. If you want to, we can make it official. I can and will very happily adopt you,”

Harry looked at the man with wide eyes and he stopped shaking for a few seconds with the shock before he started crying again, “But… Why? Why would you want me?”

Severus smiled at him sadly, “Because you are Harry. My Harry. You may not be my son by blood, but you are the son of my heart. My baby boy. And I love you more than life itself. You are so amazing, Harry. So kind, loyal, loving, intelligent, creative, brave, and every other good thing I could say about you but the list is far too long for me to say it all out loud at this moment. You are the best person I know, Harry, despite everything the world has thrown at you. You shine brighter than all the stars in the sky, and you are more important to me than all of them. I may not have carried or birthed you, but you are my baby. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, and healthy, and happy. I wish I could have done so sooner, but with everything going on… That doesn’t matter, though. I love you, Harry. And I want you. If you want me, that is,”

“I want you,” Harry nodded at the man, awe shining through him. 

“Then you shall have me, Harry. No matter what,”

Harry just laid there, in the strong arms that held him, looking up at the face that was smiling down at him with glistening dark eyes. 

“You… You can have babies, too?” Harry asked quietly. 

Severus nodded, “I can, yes,”

“Do you have any children? I mean, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Sorry. I shouldn’t pry,” Harry rushed out, eyes looking at the wall so he didn’t see any potential anger in the dark orbs. 

“You can ask me anything, Harry,” Severus said softly, “I… Given my position I haven’t really been afforded the opportunity to properly settle down yet. I… Before I became a spy I was… I was pregnant, but it… It didn’t stick. Maybe one day, though, I will be able to have a baby. But in any case, I have you. And you are my son no matter what happens. I will always love you,” 

“I’m sorry,” Harry whispered, looking up at the man who looked so pained and yet tried to hide it for Harry’s sake.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Harry. Never,” Severus said. 

“But I pried, and you told me… You didn’t have to tell me,”

“I know I didn’t have to tell you. But I wanted to. You can ask me anything, Harry. And yes, there may be some things I won’t answer. But… You almost lost your baby, Harry, and I wanted you to know that I know how it feels. I know how it feels to feel your baby die inside of you. And I know that sometimes talking about it helps. So, if you want to talk to me, you can. If you’re not ready to, though, that is okay, too. And you are my family, Harry. I feel safe telling you these things about me,”

Harry’s throat bobbed and tears flooded his eyes as he looked up at Severus, who had let a few of his own tears fall but was trying to get control of himself. 

“I’m sorry for reminding you,” Harry said. 

“It’s not really something that’s easy to forget, Harry,” Severus chuckled, “And you have nothing to apologise for. I’m fine. Now, are you ready to freshen up and get back into bed, where it is a lot more comfortable than the bathroom floor,”

Harry nodded and Severus helped him to stand, though he was still rather shaky. Harry brushed his teeth and cleaned his face before he was led by Severus, who was holding his hands and walking slowly with him because Harry was trembling with exhaustion, back to his bed. Severus helped him get comfortable against some pillows. 

“I am going to send my Patronus to the twins to get you something to eat and drink. Is there anything in particular you would like?” Severus asked gently. 

“Just some toast please, and some water. I don’t think I can stomach much at the moment,” Harry said. 

Severus nodded and sent off his Patronus. 

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare, Harry?” Severus said. 

“I…” Harry breathed shakily, “Dumbledore came. With Sirius and Remus. They k-killed you. And he k-killed her. He k-killed my baby, and I couldn’t stop him,”

Severus pulled him close again and he relished in being held by the strong body of his mother. 

“Is everything okay in here?” a soft, yet deep voice said from the doorway and Harry flinched before looking up to find the twins and Tom looking at them in concern. The twins had a plate of toast and a glass of water with them, too. 

“I’m fine,” Harry said, pulling away from Severus enough to be able to eat his toast, “You made this right?” Harry asked the twins nervously. 

“Yes, Harry. The water, too,” Fred said gently. 

Harry nodded in thanks and started nibbling on his toast, thankful that it settled his whirling stomach somewhat. 

“My Lord, is it possible to get a goblin here as soon as possible?” Severus said, “I think it a good idea to get Harry, Fred and George a new guardian so as the protect them from the Order and Dumbledore better,” 

“Of course, Severus. I will see about getting one here within the next few days. You are quite right that we should have them as protected as possible,” Tom said, shocking the twins but Harry just felt a tug at the edges of his lips. 

When Harry was done eating what he could of the toast he drank his potions, guzzled down a little bit of water, and rested back against the pillows with his hand on his small bump, feeling for the ball of magic within and sighing in relief when everything felt okay. 

“Harry, are you feeling up to discussing my side of the war? Or do you need some more time to rest?” Tom asked. 

“Erm… More time, please. I really would rather not discuss the war at the moment,”

“Okay, whenever you are feeling ready, let me know. But also know that you can do whatever you want. You don’t have to fight anymore if you don’t want to. We will keep you safe. You can be neutral, or you can help me with my plans, or whatever else you feel comfortable with. I’m not going to force you into anything,”

Harry nodded in thanks again as he pulled his knees up to his chest and stuck his hands between his thighs and stomach. 

“I don’t want to fight anymore. No matter what your goals are. I’m done with all that,” Harry muttered, looking at his knees. 

“Okay, that’s fine, Harry,” Tom said, “You also received a couple of letters this morning. I have scanned them and had my own curse breakers do so. There is nothing on them at all. They are clean. One is from Neville Longbottom, and another from Luna Lovegood,”

Harry took a shaky breath as he accepted the letters from the man. He didn’t open them, though. He couldn’t. Not yet. 

He was too scared. 

Logically he knew that neither Neville or Luna would hurt him or his baby. He knew that they would support him. 

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t still terrified of everything and everyone. 

“Thank you,” Harry said quietly as he placed the letters next to him on the mattress. 

“Is there anything you need, Harry? I want you to be comfortable here, and I want you to have everything you want and need. So if there is anything then you can tell me and I will do my best to ensure you have it,” Tom said.

“Erm,” Harry was shocked, and confused, “I, erm, I don’t really know,”

“Okay. If you think of anything, though, let me know and I will make sure you have it as soon as possible,”

“Thanks,” Harry whispered, trying to understand what was happening. 

“I will leave you all to it, then,” Tom said, trying to hide the awkwardness he was clearly feeling, as well as the concern, “I will come by later to see how you are,”

Then Tom was gone and Harry felt bad for not making more of an effort. The man was helping him, keeping him and their baby safe, and he couldn’t even be present enough to converse with him. 

Harry glanced at the letters for a second before shaking his head and looking away. 

He couldn’t. 

Not yet. 

He lent against Severus and sighed when the man wrapped an arm around him. He felt safe in those arms. And loved. 

More loved than he had ever felt before. 

And, somehow, he ended up drifting off.

Chapter Text

Harry had been at the Manor for a week. A whole week. A whole week in which Severus had barely left his side, and the twins made his food (not that he could eat much still, but at least he was eating something,) and Tom had spoken to him for at least five minutes every day, asking him if he needed anything, if he wanted to talk about Tom’s side of the war, if he was okay. Tom had also felt the baby’s magic a few more times, almost every day, and the look of wonder, plus the small smile, that filled the man’s red eyes every time made Harry smile also. 

It also made his heart flutter slightly. But he chose to ignore that feeling. 

Not that it was hard to do with everything that was going on in his mind, or in the outside world. The nightmares. The pain. The memories. 

He dreamed the other night of what would have happened if he was actually locked away with Moony during the full moon. It was, perhaps, the most terrifying dream he could ever have had. Sirius was there, too, in his dog form, barking happily as it happened. 

Harry was so hysterical after that dream that it took Severus and the twins an hour to calm him down, even with pregnancy safe calming draughts. He also didn’t think he had ever vomited as much as he had after that dream. And Merlin did the vomiting hurt. 

He was eleven weeks pregnant, now. Narcissa and Severus were checking on him and the baby every few days, to make sure there were no other complications that they could currently see. Everything was fine, though the baby was a little small. That could be fixed though with the potions he was taking every day, and food. 

It didn’t stop him from worrying about anything else being wrong, though. And he hated that he had to wait until so far into the pregnancy for an in depth scan. He needed to know. He needed to know if they… 

He needed to know if they had hurt his baby. 

Somehow. 

Some way. 

They did say, however, that his magic was… weaker than it usually was. By quite a bit. He wasn’t surprised, he had used so much magic to protect his child, and it was weakening the more he had to do so. He could feel it. He knew that if he was there for even just a few more days then he would have been depleted to the point where he wouldn’t have been able to… His baby would have died. 

His baby would have died. 

But they said his magic was… healing. Though it was doing so incredibly slowly. It was also damaged by the lack of food and sleep, not just from the amount of powerful magic he had had to use to keep himself and his baby safe. 

They said that he shouldn’t use too much magic during the pregnancy, if any. So as not to deplete it further. Only to use magic if he absolutely needed to. 

They also said that he… that he may give birth early, if his magic wasn’t healed enough to keep the baby inside him during the last weeks of the pregnancy. 

And that terrified him. 

What if the baby was born too early?

What if…?

No, he couldn’t think about that. 

He just couldn’t. 

They said that they had time, though. That they could get everything ready so they were prepared no matter what happened. No matter when he went into labour. Severus would brew potions to help the baby with the issues that may come up if they are born early, and to help Harry with any potential complications that may arise during or after birth. They would have all the necessary equipment brought in, and Narcissa was trained to help with premature babies so she knew spells and things that she would brush up on, just in case. 

It didn’t stop his fear, though. He knew they had time to prepare for anything, and they would prepare for everything, but it still scared the crap out of him. Because if they were preparing for everything then they had to prepare for the worst, right? 

And he couldn’t bear the worst. 

He just couldn’t. 

Bump was growing. Not by much, but it was bigger than it was when he arrived at the Manor. And it both thrilled and pained him whenever he thought of that, felt it, or saw it in the bathroom mirror. 

It was the 7th of September and already the news had spread that he wasn’t at Hogwarts. Though Dumbledore released a statement yesterday saying that Harry was away getting some one on one training for his fight against Voldemort. Harry had snorted when Severus showed him the article. As if the old man would have ever been gracious enough to give him the training needed to survive a proper battle with Tom. It was ludicrous. 

He hadn’t read the letters from Neville or Luna, yet. He couldn’t… He couldn’t bring himself to. They sat, perfectly innocently, on his bedside table and he couldn’t find it in himself to open them. 

He knew, logically, that they were both loyal friends. That they would both support and help him and his baby. He knew that. But there was a part of him that expected rejection. And it ached fiercely. He couldn’t deal with that on top of everything else. He really couldn’t. 

But Merlin did he want to read those letters. 

To know, once and for all, that he still had his friends on his side. 

Yet the fear threatened to topple him every time he even glanced at them. 

He had never been so scared before. 

So terrified. 

He thought it rather uncharacteristic of himself to be this scared of everything and everyone. 

But he couldn’t help it. 

The people he had loved and cared for like family, when his own, actual family had abused him so, had tried to hurt him in the worst way possible. And he was fucking terrified. 

But, he was being adopted tomorrow, hopefully. Along with the twins who had had a talk of their own with Severus. And he would have a proper family then. Ones who wouldn’t hurt him. Who would love him, and his baby. 

But that fleeting happiness that crossed his mind whenever he thought of it didn’t get rid of the fear he felt deep within. Nothing could. 

“Harry, you should read them,” Severus said gently when he noticed that Harry’s eyes had glanced over at them again. 

Harry was leaning against the man, still in the bed he had been in all week because he didn’t have the energy to do anything else but lay there. 

“I know,” Harry whispered. 

“Do you actually think that either Miss Lovegood, or Mr Longbottom would say anything to hurt you, Harry?” Severus asked, his voice gentle still as he rubbed Harry’s back, and kissed the top of his head. 

“No,” Harry muttered as Tom entered the room, the red eyes flaring with… something as he looked at Harry and Severus cuddled together on the bed. Something that Harry had seen in his eyes a few times now but Harry couldn’t quite place. 

“How are you feeling, Harry?” Tom asked kindly as he sat in a chair next to the bed. 

“Tired, and nauseous,” Harry said, smiling slightly at Tom, who smiled a small smile back at him. 

And Harry ignored the flutters in his heart as the man asked to feel the baby’s magic, and the warm hand laid gently, yet protectively over his belly, and the red eyes gleamed in awe… and something else as they glanced between Harry’s eyes and belly. 

And after about five minutes of small talk between the three, in which Tom kept looking suspiciously between Severus and Harry with that gleam of… something in his eyes he stood and said, “Severus, may I have a private word with you?” a fierce edge to his voice. 

Harry tensed slightly and Severus squeezed him gently, placing a kiss on his head before letting go. 

“It’s fine, Harry. The twins will be here soon with your food so you won’t be alone for long. I’ll be right back,” Severus said gently, “Maybe you can use this time to read those letters of yours. The sooner you read them, the sooner you will know. Then you, perhaps, won’t be as scared,” he kissed the top of Harry’s head again and left the room, followed by Tom, the door closing gently behind them. 

Harry took a deep, shaky breath and glanced at the letters again, his thumb rubbing at his bump gently as he breathed and contemplated finally reading them. 

Severus was right, he knew. The sooner he read them the sooner he would know. The sooner he would have answers to his millions of questions and doubts. The sooner he would be less scared of his two loyal friends. Or who he hoped were two loyal friends. 

Merlin, everything was a mess. 

He reached slowly over to them and picked them up, pulling them close. He looked at his name, written on both the envelopes, and he knew instantly who wrote each one. Luna’s writing was elegant, but also curly. Neville’s was elegant and flowing. Harry’s was just a mess, really. Though he had never been taught how to write with a quill, and he rather thought the damage his hand had sustained over the years at the Dursley’s didn’t help matters. Severus agreed. But Severus was going to properly teach him everything he needed to know when Harry was feeling better, more rested. Harry’s education still mattered, after all. 

He took another shaky breath and opened Luna’s letter, unfolding the parchment inside and looking at the elegantly curly script nervously for a few seconds before finally taking in the words that were written. 

… 

Tom led Severus to his study and gestured for the man to take a seat in the chair in front of his desk as Tom sat in the comfortable one behind it. And he couldn’t stop the glare as he looked into the dark eyes of the man opposite him. 

“My Lord?” Severus prompted, and Tom could see the nervousness in his eyes, though the man was trying to hide it. 

“What is going on between you and Harry?” Tom demanded. 

Severus’ eyes widened a fraction in confusion and shock, “I beg your pardon, My Lord?”

“What is going on between you and Harry?” Tom said again, his voice firm. 

“I don’t know what you are referring to, My Lord,”

“Stop calling me that, Severus. I told you, you may call me Tom now. I am referring to your obvious… comfort together. The way you hold him, and look after him, the way you look at him, and he looks at you. The way you interact with each other. The way you obviously love him. And he obviously loves you. I know you told me you have been looking after, helping, and protecting him for years. But you didn’t tell me you were courting him, Severus-”

“I’m not courting him, Tom,” Severus said, confusion still shining in his dark eyes. 

“Then what is going on between you? I would like to be a father for my child, but-” Tom said, his voice tough and demanding. 

“I am adopting him, Tom. Tomorrow, hopefully. He is like a son to me. Hopefully he will be my son soon. I love him, yes, and he loves me, for some reason. But not romantically. I am also adopting the twins tomorrow, hopefully. I am gay, yes, but I am also a bearer, like Harry. I’m not in love with him. And even if I was… courting Harry, which I wouldn’t when he is sixteen years old, by the way… I wouldn’t keep you away from your child, Tom. Not unless you did something to hurt the baby or Harry. Though, let it be known that I will do whatever I can to keep you away from them if you even think about hurting them, or the twins,” Severus glared slightly at Tom, “But I’m not in love with him. He is my son in all the ways that matter. He, the baby, and the twins are the most important people in my life. But I won’t be keeping you away from your baby so long as you don’t hurt them. There is nothing to be jealous about…” Severus smirked at the almost gaping man opposite him. 

“I’m not jealous,” Tom sputtered. 

“Really? You practically just asked me if I was in love with one of my students. I’ve seen the looks you have been giving me and Harry all week. You care for him, in some way-”

“He is carrying my baby, I care about his safety, and the safety of our child. I don’t love him,” Tom said. 

“I never said you did love him. Though, I think, even if you did love him, you wouldn’t really realise it just yet. You only just got your emotions and mind back, Tom. You’re confused. That’s okay. It will take time for you to come to terms with everything. But, in any case, if you hurt him, your child, or the twins, I am taking them all away from here and protecting them to the best of my ability, but not before hurting you first. Just so you’re aware, of course. They are my priorities in everything. And if you even think about making a move on my son before he is seventeen, I will torture you. He has been through enough as is without you-”

“No moves are going to be made because there are no moves to make. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to keep my child from me,” Tom said, cutting Severus off. 

“And you should have known that I wouldn’t have done that no matter what the situation between Harry and I was. Do I seem the type to keep people’s children from them?”  Severus asked, sounding slightly affronted. 

“No,” Tom muttered, “But that doesn’t mean I was jealous, or that I want to court Harry, or anything,”

“And yet, the more you try to defend yourself, the more you make it seem like you do, in fact, want to court my son,” Severus said, smirking again at the man. 

“I don’t,” 

“For now,” Severus smirked, “Though, if you do change your mind once you get to know him some more, then please do wait until he is at least seventeen before you do anything,”

“What kind of a person do you take me for, Severus?” Tom said. 

Severus just raised his eyebrow at the man. 

“Just be lucky I didn’t say thirty, like I desperately wish I could,” Severus said, smirking at the slightly paling man. 

“I wasn’t jealous,” Tom said firmly. 

“You keep telling yourself that, Tom,” Severus said, still smirking though it was becoming more of a grin, “Though, maybe you should spend more time with him. He is exhausted, yes, but I think he would like it, so long as the war isn’t brought up. You are having a child together, after all, so you should get to know each other, properly,”

“It’s a bit hard to do that when you are always there with him,” Tom said. 

“How is it? Can I not be part of the conversation? Harry needs all of us right now, he is struggling with everything and he needs support, he doesn’t need us excluding each other from our conversations because of jealousy or anything else. Whatever you say to him can be said in front of others, Tom. Harry needs to feel safe. He knows he is safe here, yes. But he has been unsafe for his entire life, so it is hard to work past that. He needs support, and he needs the people he cares about around him, the people that care about him, and his child. One day, he will be comfortable enough to have a conversation with you on his own, but right now… right now he needs love, acceptance, and comfort. So let him have those things whilst you talk. Don’t talk about the war, or your intertwined pasts. Talk about life, what you like and dislike, the baby, your friends, your family, anything but what has made him so unsafe for the past sixteen years. And he will open up to you, too. He will tell you what he wants, what he needs. And he will truly start to feel safe,” Severus said, as gently as he could. 

“He should know he is safe,” Tom said, confused. 

“He does, logically. He knows that you can’t and won’t do anything to hurt him or the baby. But he is still scared. He is scared that the baby has been harmed by those who he called family. He is scared that he will give birth early because his body and magic won’t be able to handle the pregnancy in the last weeks. He is scared that someone else will try and hurt him and the baby. He is scared that Dumbledore will find him and do… things to him and his child. He has been having nightmares nearly every night. He wants peace. And he wants safety. And he wants love, and care, and protection. He wants a family. He wants friends. And he has so very little of those things. So provide them. Become his friend, Tom. The more you talk to him, the more you open up, the more he will, too. The more he will feel safe,” Severus said. 

Tom just nodded, not sure what to say. 

“I’m going back to Harry now,” Severus said, and Tom nodded again, dismissing Severus with a wave of his hand. 

…

Dear Harry, 

Father and I were visited by the Headmaster a few days ago. He wanted to know if we knew where you, Fred and George were because you had all gone missing. Of course we told him we didn’t know where you were, but he said to tell him if we ever found out. He looked around the whole house with some Order members to make sure you weren’t hiding. 

He told us about your baby, Harry. That he needed to know where you were so he could stop you from bringing another… monster into the world. That he needed to figure out a way of destroying the shield that kept appearing around you whenever he tried to ‘help’. He asked if we knew how to, but we said no. 

Know, Harry, that father and I are on your side, as always. We support you and your baby, and we care for you both. No matter what happens, we will always be here for you, we will always aid you. And… we know where you are, Harry, and you made the right choice in the end. We support you. Your baby isn’t a monster, Harry, no matter what anyone says. Your baby is precious, special, and amazing. A true miracle. And we will do whatever we can to help you and your baby, Harry. You are family. 

Always, 

Luna.

Harry breathed a shaky sigh of relief as he finished reading the letter from Luna. He knew… He knew deep down that she would support him, but he was so bloody relieved for the confirmation. 

He opened Neville’s letter next, after carefully putting Luna’s back on his bedside table, and glanced over the writing before reading the words themselves:

Dear Harry,

How are you? I hope you’re okay, or as okay as you can be, I guess. Headmaster Dumbledore came to see gran and I, to see if we knew where you were because you and the twins had run away. We said no, of course, because we don’t know where you are. And even if we did know where you were we wouldn’t have said anything, I promise. You would only run away if you had a good reason to do so. 

And Merlin did you. I am sorry he tried to hurt you so badly, Harry. That he tried to take your baby from you. He has no right. Just because the father is… Voldemort, it doesn’t mean the baby will be bad. Your baby is a bloody miracle and you both deserve so much better than what the Headmaster tried to do to you. 

I hope you are all okay, wherever you are. I understand if you don’t want to tell me. But know that you have my support. And gran’s. She is angry that he dared to try and kill an unborn child without the mother’s permission. Yes, she doesn’t like who the child’s father is, but she knows that that doesn’t mean the child will be bad. Especially when raised by someone like you. 

You will be the best mum, Harry, I’m sure of it. The way you look after everyone around you, but especially the younger students. You are so kind, and amazing. And you and your baby have my support and love, always. You are the best friend I could ask for, Harry, and I am here to help you in any way I can. I promise. I will keep an eye on things at the school for you, so you know what is going on here. I hope I can come and see you soon, to make sure you and baby are okay, but I understand if you can’t. Your safety is top priority right now. 

Love you, brother, 

Neville. 

And Harry was crying as he read the words that he knew would be there but was so very terrified wouldn’t be. He carefully placed the letter back with Luna’s as the door opened and the twins entered, closely followed by Severus, carrying a tray of food and drinks. 

“Harry, are you okay?” Severus asked, worried, as he sped over to the bed and sat next to Harry, who lent into him, instinctively seeking warmth and comfort. 

“I read the letters,” Harry said quietly as the man’s arms wrapped around him. 

“And what did they say?” Severus said as he rubbed Harry’s back. 

“They support me. And I knew they would, but I was just so scared,” Harry said, his voice trembling slightly. 

“I know you were, Harry. But it’s okay. It’s okay,” Severus said, his voice gentle. 

It took Harry a little while to calm down but he was soon carefully eating his mixed berry porridge. He wasn’t feeling up to anything too greasy at the moment, his stomach was far too queasy for it. He was letting the gentle conversation around him settle him even more as he relaxed back into the pillows and tried to forget… most of everything. But his mind was too full these days. 

Much too full.

Chapter Text

Harry woke up the next morning feeling both nervous and excited. And wasn’t that a shock? He hadn’t been excited in… well, a long time. But… But he might be getting adopted today. 

Hopefully. 

So long as all goes well. 

He was going to have a proper family. 

Then, of course, the morning sickness kicked in. But he didn’t mind as he stumbled out of bed and towards the bathroom to relieve his stomach. He even managed somewhat of a smile, that really looked more like a grimace, as he felt a large, comforting hand on his back, rubbing gentle circles into it and easing the tension there. 

When he was done he leaned back into the embrace that was waiting for him and sighed happily as the man who may soon be his actual mother gently wiped his face with a cool, damp flannel. 

“Would you like to try a morning sickness relieving potion?” Severus asked gently. 

“N-no,” Harry whispered.

“Okay. That’s okay. Are you ready to get ready for the day? The goblins are coming here, but they can either meet us in one of the family rooms, or come to the bedroom. It is up to you where you feel the most comfortable,” Severus said. 

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Harry said, smiling slightly as Severus helped him up. 

“And do you want a bath, to relax and maybe help with the nausea? Or do you just want to have a good wash?” Severus asked, concern in his eyes. 

“Erm, can I have a bath please?” Harry said. 

“Of course,” Severus nodded, “I will run it for you whilst you brush your teeth. Do you want me to stay with you again?” he said as he moved to run the bath. 

“Yes, please,” Harry muttered, feeling weak for needing the man close to him. But he… he needed a barrier, a protector, someone who cared near him. He needed to feel cared for and loved. 

He didn’t want to be alone. 

He hadn’t been truly alone since he found out about the baby. 

He couldn’t risk being alone with them. 

And he didn’t want to risk it now. 

What if something happened?

What if a Death Eater came along?

What if all the spells and potions caught up to his body again? 

What if..?

No, he couldn’t be alone. 

Not yet. 

Perhaps not even any time soon. 

He wanted to feel safe. 

Was that so much to ask?

Sev made him feel safe. 

And… And he knew what to do if something went wrong. 

Harry brushed his teeth and washed his face, trying to forget all the bad things. Trying to focus on the good. The adoption. 

His new, real, family. 

Soon he was climbing into the warm, bubbly water, and laid back against the back of the tub, legs stretched in front of him as his head rested on the little pillow that Severus had placed there for him. His hands resting on his small bump as he tried to relax. And Severus took his seat on the floor next to the bath, running his fingers gently through Harry’s hair. 

“Erm, so you said the other day that when the goblins test me they will find out the gender of the baby. So, we’ll know today?” Harry said distractedly. 

“You can know, if you want to know. If you don’t want to then we won’t show you the results. Although, Narcissa and I already know. We found out when we tested your magic,” Severus grinned slightly. 

“And you didn’t tell me?” Harry said, shocked. 

“You said you didn’t know if you wanted to know yet. I thought I would wait to mention it until you had decided,” Severus said gently. 

“R-right. So… you know?” Harry said, needing to be sure. 

“Yes,” Severus said. 

Harry’s throat bobbed and constricted with emotion as his thumb rubbed against the curve of his belly. 

“I want to know, but,” tears filled Harry’s eyes, “I’m scared,”

“What are you scared of, Harry?” Severus asked, his voice soft, and full of concern. 

“What if… What if something happens? What if I lose them? What if they are taken from me? What if..? I-I don’t want to-to be too attached,” Harry said as the tears finally fell. 

Merlin, he was a wreck. 

“Harry, child, I think we already know that you are inexplicably attached to your child,” Severus said, pain etched into his voice, “It’s hard not to be when you can feel them, their magic, their energy. And yes, all the possibilities are scary, especially after what you’ve already been through, but not knowing whether you’re having a boy or a girl won’t make anything hurt any less if something were to go wrong. If you truly want to know, then ask. But if you want to wait, then that is fine, too. And if you want to wait until you have given birth, then that is also okay,”

Harry nodded, looking down at his little bump… and he needed to know. He wanted to know. 

Desperately. 

He wanted to know if he was having a little boy or a little girl. And Severus was probably right in saying that if something did happen then not knowing wouldn’t make it hurt any less. 

He already loved his baby more than anything else in the world. 

Yes, he was young, but he had wanted a family his whole bloody life. Someone who would love him unconditionally, and whom he could love the same way. 

And this… his baby was that for him. No matter what. His baby was his true, blood family. His baby was everything. 

So yes, he wanted to know. Needed to know. 

But Merlin did all the ‘what if’s hurt. 

“C-can you tell me, please? I don’t want to find out from the goblins. I want to find out from you,” Harry whispered, looking up at Severus with pleading eyes. 

“Are you sure, Harry? You don’t need to know now if you’re not ready,” Severus said. 

“I need to know. I want to know. I just… it hurts. But I want to know, please,” Harry said. 

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Harry nodded, and Severus smiled, eyes warm and full of understanding, “You’re having a little girl, Harry,”

It was as if everything stopped as his heart and soul filled with love, and hope, and awe, and joy, and… everything. 

“A-a girl? Really?” Harry breathed, lips wobbling slightly even as they turned up at the sides. 

“Really,” Severus nodded, a small smile on his face also.

Harry couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face as he moved to hug Severus, trying not to get the man too wet, although a rather large part of him didn’t care as the man wrapped his own arms around him and held him as close as he could given the edge of the bath was between them. 

And, of course, Harry started crying again, but it was mostly happy tears that time. 

He was having a little girl. 

He was going to have a daughter. 

His baby was a girl. 

“Does Tom know?” Harry asked. 

“No. I wanted you to know first, or for you to find out together,” Severus said. 

“Oh, do you think he will be mad that I had you tell me without him?” Harry asked worriedly as he pulled back, laying back down and placing his hands back on his belly. 

“I’m sure he will understand, Harry. At least this way you can be the one to tell him,” Severus said, smiling as he placed a gentle kiss on Harry’s forehead. 

“I’m going to have a daughter,” Harry breathed, a smile on his face, trying not to think about the possibilities. The bad ones anyway. 

“You’re going to have a daughter,” Severus said, smiling at Harry as he ran his fingers through the teen’s messy hair. 

…

Harry was sitting on his bed with Severus and the twins when Tom entered with a familiar looking goblin. 

“Hello Griphook, how are you today?” Harry asked kindly, settling back into the pillows between his spine and the headboard. 

Griphook, Severus and Tom looked at Harry in shock, and almost awe, which confused Harry greatly. 

“Erm, is everything okay?” Harry asked. 

“You remembered my name, Mr Potter. Even though we have only met once,” Griphook said, clearly trying to hide how stunned he was. 

“Well, yeah. You took me to my vault, and Hagrid to get the stone for Dumbledore when I re-entered the wizarding world,” Harry said, still confused. 

“Hmph, indeed. But most wizards don’t take the time or energy to remember a goblin’s name. Especially if that goblin is not their account manager, and is just a goblin that takes people to their vaults,” Griphook said. 

“That makes no sense,” Harry said, “You are the ones who handle our money, our properties, investments, and whatever else. We should respect you enough to know your names. You are incredibly important to society, the ones who make us able to keep things moving. You should be recognised for that,”

Griphook smirked, but there was a happy glint in his eyes which you could see if you looked close enough, “You, Mr Potter, are what us goblins would prefer all wizards and witches were like. And I think you will be able to accomplish wonderful things for the country, if you want to put your mind and heart to it,”

Harry blushed slightly, looking down at his curled legs. 

“Anyhow, I believe we are here to talk about guardianship,” Griphook said. 

“Yes,” Severus said, “Harry, Fred and George are all in need of a new guardian, and we were hoping I would be able to adopt them all,” 

“And why, Mr Snape, are they are all in need of new guardians? I do believe the twins have living parents, and they are of age,” Griphook said as he sat in the chair Tom conjured for him, as Tom sat in another. 

Severus looked at Harry and the twins with a questioning look. 

“Can you explain, please?” Harry whispered. 

Severus nodded and turned to look back at Griphook, squeezing Harry’s hand in reassurance as he did so. And so Severus explained everything that had happened. Everything. From the duel, to Harry fainting and ending up in Headquarters, to the Order trying to kill his baby at every opportunity, to Harry and the twins escaping and making their way here, to Harry almost losing the baby, to Harry’s magic being weak and them being unsure whether Harry’s body and magic will be able to keep the pregnancy going for what was supposed to be the length of the pregnancy. 

Everything. 

And boy did Griphook look beyond angry. 

“Right,” Griphook said, voice shaking somewhat, “Well then, I will need to do an inheritance test on all of you before I can proceed, if you are agreeable. Mr Potter, do you know the gender of your child? If you don’t want to know I won’t show you your results,”

“I know,” Harry smiled, and chuckled slightly when Tom sputtered. 

“You know?” Tom said in shock. 

“Yes. Do you want to know?” Harry said, smiling at the man.

“I… Yes, please,” Tom breathed. 

“Well then… I wonder if she will have your eyes or mine,” Harry said. 

“It’s a girl!” the twins exclaimed excitedly, gently crushing Harry in their arms as they cheered. 

“Oh, this is amazing! Georgie, we’re going to have a niece,” Fred beamed at his twin and Harry just smiled in their arms, looking over George’s shoulder to find Tom staring at him in awe, and shock, and… something else that sent flutters through his body. 

After everything had calmed down they went straight to work with the tests. Tests that revealed Harry as the Heir of the Potter, Black and Peverell Houses, and Severus as the Heir of the Prince family, and able to take over as Lord if he wanted to. 

And that was a shock for both of them who didn’t know too much about all the politics of the world, but they accepted their titles, knowing they could come in handy at some point. 

There would be no trouble with Severus adopting Harry, since the Headmaster wasn’t doing his job as Harry’s magical guardian correctly, based on the evidence provided by Severus of Harry’s abuse, and the attempted termination against Harry’s consent. 

The twins, however, were supposed to be more difficult due to the fact their parents were still alive, and they were of age. Except that there was a clause in the Weasley family charter that stated if a child of the family (whether of age or not) were in danger from their parents, then they could allow themselves to be removed from the family and adopted by someone else. 

And since the whole of the Order, including Molly and Arthur, turned on Fred and George for actively protecting Harry and his unborn child, physically harming them multiple times, the adoption was able to go ahead. Which was certainly a bloody relief for them all. 

A blood adoption was offered also, for the twins and Severus anyway since a blood adoption would potentially cause more complications with Harry’s pregnancy, but the option was available for when he had given birth, and he could do it for his daughter also, so that she was biologically Severus’ granddaughter. 

And then it was done, after a lot of paperwork and the twins opting to wait until Harry and the baby could do the blood adoption to do it themselves so they could do it together, as a family. 

And Harry didn’t think he would stop smiling as his new family embraced for the first time. 

Not for a little while anyway.

Chapter Text

Harry really just wanted his mind to shut off and stop thinking. The second everyone had left the room; for he had actually asked to be left alone for a moment, he was far too overwhelmed at the moment to want loads of people around him, even if they were his family; his mind had started whirling with… everything. 

He had a parent now, one who would love, and protect, and look after him in any way Harry needed him to. He had actual brothers, too. And that was amazing. 

The fact that he was having a daughter was also just… the most wonderful thing ever. 

But then the dream he had flashed through his mind’s eye again and he couldn’t help but fear it. Because if he had already, unconsciously known that he was having a girl, then maybe the rest of the dream would come true, too. 

Right?

Maybe he had, somehow, seen the future. And that scared him. Terrified him even. He couldn’t… He couldn’t lose his baby. Not after everything else. He couldn’t lose the twins, or Tom even. And Merlin knew that he needed Sev. Not like that, either. Right in front of him, with a sword through his chest. And then for his baby to have her throat slit. 

No, it couldn’t happen. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t live with that. 

Especially not with Sirius and Remus holding him back with those horrid grins. That would tear him to shreds even more. 

He sighed shakily as he stood from the bed, hand on his small bump still, and he made his way to the bathroom, hoping that the shower would help him relax a bit, and stop thinking quite so much, because he really couldn’t deal with those memories anymore. 

He stood there under the warm stream, his hands on his bump, rubbing soothing, slow circles into it, breathing deeply to calm his mind and racing heart. He looked down at the place where his child lay and smiled sadly. 

“I love you, baby girl. I know I’m young, in age, but all I’ve ever wanted was a family. You are my family, along with Sev, and the twins, and Tom, your dad, I suppose. You are the most important person in the world to me, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to properly protect you, but I will do everything I can to do so now. I promise. Just… please, don’t leave me. I don’t think I could bear it if you did. I promise to not leave you, for as long as I can, too. I’ll be the best mum I can be, I promise,” Harry whispered to his belly, feeling a tad silly for doing so, but he had read that talking to your baby can be a good thing. So that they know your voice when they are born. 

He left the shower after a few more minutes and dried himself, wrapping the black, silk dressing gown around himself and tying it around his waist. 

He left the en-suite just as there was a knock on his door, “Come in,” Harry said softly. 

Part of him was shocked to see Tom enter the room, a nervous look in his eyes as the man looked at Harry, still in awe. 

“I… Is it okay for me to be here, when it is just you and me? Or would you rather me go and get Severus or your twins?” Tom said, standing by the still open door. 

“I, erm, you can stay,” Harry said nervously, “I guess we should probably get used to being in the same room together, alone, or with our baby, right?” 

“I suppose,” Tom breathed, “But if you aren’t comfortable doing it now then we can wait, I can go and get Severus or if you aren’t up to talking at the moment then I will leave you alone,”

“Tom, it’s fine,” Harry smiled, ignoring the slight fluttering he was feeling, “You can stay, and we can talk. Just, please not about the war. I honestly don’t care about that anymore. I don’t think I ever really did,”

“Okay,” Tom’s lips twitched and he stepped towards Harry, hesitating slightly. 

“Come, let’s sit on the bed,” Harry said, sitting himself on the bed, his back resting against a cushioned headboard as he gestured for Tom to sit in front of him. 

Harry smiled when Tom did, in fact, sit in front of him, legs crossed, his red eyes going to Harry’s stomach with shock, awe and a gentleness Harry never could have imagined coming from the man. 

“We’re having a daughter,” Tom breathed. 

“We’re having a daughter,” Harry smiled, trying to hide his fear, worry and everything else, though he thought Tom could see through it. 

“Are you okay, Harry?” Tom said, concerned. 

“Not really,” Harry chuckled darkly, “But I’ll survive, I think. Are you okay?”

“Why are you asking me that? I’m not…” Tom seemed rather confused. 

“Your supposed enemy turned up at your home to tell you he was impossibly pregnant with your child. The way you found out involved… well, you know. And your whole life has been upturned. You are a human, Tom, with feelings, and a lot has happened, so are you okay? I may be the one pregnant at sixteen, but you are also about to be a parent, supposing everything goes smoothly,” Harry said nervously, “And you deserve to be asked if you are okay,”

“I’m okay, thank you,” Tom said, his voice soft and raw, “Still in shock, I think, but… I never thought I would have this kind of a chance,”

“Hm, same,” Harry said, “Do you want to feel our daughter’s magic?”

Tom smiled slightly and nodded, holding out his hand for Harry to guide it to the small bump, letting the man feel his and their baby’s magic. 

“She’s going to be a powerful one?” Tom said proudly. 

“What do you expect with you as her dad?” Harry grinned. 

Tom raised an eyebrow, “And with you as her mum, Harry. You are powerful, too,” 

Harry blushed lightly, looking down at their joined hands on his belly, “Can you feel the bump, too? It’s small, not really visible yet, but…”

“I can feel it,” Tom said, rubbing his thumb along the curve slowly.

Harry smiled, but then his thoughts caught up with him again and fear, worry, and way too many other feelings crept up, “I’m sorry. If… If she’s not okay, I’m sorry for not doing enough to protect her-”

“Harry,” Tom cut him off, a sad smile on his face, “I know that if things had gone the way they should have gone, then I probably would never have found out about our daughter. Understandable really considering everything I’ve done to you and the people you love. But they were the people you considered family, friends, and they made you think they thought of you that way, too. They were meant to love and protect you, and your children. No matter what. And they didn’t. They turned on you for an accident, and not even the kind of one that usually gets people pregnant. It was an accident on all of our sides, and in no way your fault,

“Since before you even knew our baby girl existed you have been protecting her, from the people you shouldn’t have had to protect her from. You, and your magic, has been protecting our daughter from abortion spells and potions that aren’t meant to have any counter. You escaped from them. You ran away from your family to protect our baby. And for some reason you decided to come to me, despite everything I have done. You have loved her and protected her since before you even knew her, you are such an amazing mother already, Harry. If we find out during the thirty three week scan that she isn’t completely healthy, then know that it will never be your fault. It is the fault of the people who tried to hurt her and you. You did everything you could to keep her safe, and healthy. You have nothing to be sorry for, and you never will have anything to be sorry for. If she is injured, hurt, or ill, it isn’t your fault, and everyone who dared to hurt you both like that will be punished, even more severely than what we are already working on, for the pain it is causing you and her. And we will love her, and protect her, and care for her as best as we can. No matter what,” Tom said, his voice both strong, and yet Harry could also sense some worry in there, too. 

Harry smiled sadly at the man in front of him, “Would you… Would you like to be there? For the birth I mean?” 

Tom looked at him, shocked beyond words, “Are you sure you’ll be comfortable with me being there?”

“We have time to get to know each other between now and then, right? To become friends? You are her dad, Tom, and you deserve to be there for the first moments of her life on the outside. If you want to be?” Harry said, smiling slightly at the shock and awe on the man’s face still. 

“I… I want to be there for everything you let me be there for,” Tom said, “I would be more than honoured to be there when she is born,”

“Good,” Harry said, “So, what’s your favourite colour?”

Tom chuckled slightly, “Forest Green. Yours?” 

“Whatever colour the sky is when I look at it. But forest green is a good colour, too,” Harry said. 

“So, no Gryffindor red for you then?” Tom smirked. 

“No, that red is way too bright and garish for me,” Harry chuckled, “If I like any shade of red it is the darker ones,”

Severus entered the room with a gentle knock on the door, and Harry smiled at the man that was now his mother. Severus smiled at him and looked at Tom with a raised eyebrow. 

“Are you both alright in here?” Severus asked, moving towards the bed and sitting next to Harry. 

“Yeah,” Harry said.

“Good. The twins are working on some dinner for you. Would you like to eat here? Or are you feeling up to touring the place and eating in the family dining room?” Severus said, raising an eyebrow at Tom again. 

“Oh, yes, Harry. I understand your wanting to remain in here for a little while, but you are free to walk around. This is your home, too, now. And the Death Eaters have been told to only come here when I call them and that they are to leave as soon as our business is done. They have also been told that you are off limits and should anything happen to you that they will be… punished. So you are safe here. Our baby is safe here. If you want to have a look around, and eat in the dining room, that is perfectly fine. But if you want to stay in here a bit longer, then that is fine also,” Tom said, removing his hands from Harry’s tiny baby bump. 

“I, erm, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to eat elsewhere,” Harry said, knowing that he needed to stop confining himself to the bedroom he was in. 

He needed freedom. 

“Only if you’re sure, Harry,” Severus said gently. 

“I’m sure,” Harry nodded, “I will just need to get dressed first, though,”

Severus raised an eyebrow at Tom again, his eyes darkening as the older man gulped, “Right, I shall leave you to get dressed. Severus can show you the way to the family dining room,” Tom said before nodding his goodbye and leaving the room, closing the door gently behind him. 

“Are you alright, Harry?” Severus asked, concern in his eyes. 

“Yeah, mum, I’m fine. We were just talking, about the baby mostly, feeling her magic,” Harry said, smiling at the man who smiled back at him. 

“Good,” Severus said.

“Do you want to feel her magic? You are her nana now, after all, and you should get to feel it, too. If you want to, that is. I understand if you don’t want to,” Harry said worriedly. 

It was now Severus’ turn to look at him in shock, and awe, and love, and everything else, a smile tugging at the older man’s lips as he nodded and Harry led his hand to his tiny bump, where his daughter lay, a grin lining his face. 

“I am so proud of you, Harry,” Severus breathed out as he felt the magics of his new son and granddaughter, “I don’t know what I did to deserve you wanting to be my son, you wanting me to be in your daughter’s life, but I promise that I will love, care for, and protect you both as best as I can,”

Harry smiled at the man some more, “I don’t know what I did to deserve you wanting me to be your son. But I am forever grateful for you, and I will do my best to be a good son,”

Severus’ lips twitched upwards some more and he wrapped his arms around Harry gently, Harry melted into the hold, seeking the warmth and comfort he needed because the fear, and pain was still lingering in him. 

“I’m scared,” Harry whispered into Severus’ shoulder, and Severus rubbed his back gently. 

“Why, Harry? What’s going on?” Severus asked, concerned. 

“I… I knew my baby was a girl before you even told me. I dreamed it. But I also dreamed that they found me, and that they killed you, and Tom, and the twins… and her. Her throat was slit by Dumbledore. What if… What if that actually happens? What if I saw the future? I can’t… I can’t lose you, any of you… But especially you, and my baby. I can’t-”

“Harry, child,” Severus said, pulling back from the hug slightly and resting his hand gently on Harry’s cheek, rubbing gently away the tears that had begun to fall with the pad of this pale thumb, “Sometimes mother’s just know what they’re having. Mother’s have a good intuition a lot of the time, and they can just pick up on it. And they can dream it, too, when they are pregnant. Many women, and bearers, have dreams when they are pregnant, of their baby, of things happening to their baby. But it doesn’t mean that many or any of those things will become true. Yes, your mind may have known you were having a girl. But the rest of the dream was just a dream, Harry. We are adding wards to the property, at various points so that no one except those we invite in can get in. And if people try to get in then they have to work through multiple layers of wards, which gives us time to escape and such should they try. We are doing everything we can to keep you, and your daughter safe, Harry. And we will continue to do so. We will leave the country if necessary. We won’t let them near you ever again, Harry, and we especially won’t let them near your baby,” Severus said softly. 

“But-”

“I know it’s hard to believe at the moment, child, I do. A lot has happened these past few weeks, and you are scared. Which is completely understandable. But you are safe here, as safe as we can make you, and we are prepared to leave at the drop of a hat if we need to. We have Portkeys, hidden passageways, and everything else that will help us protect you, and we are getting more things, and more people prepared to help us as we go. I know it’s hard, I know you’re scared, but I need you to try and trust us with your safety, and the safety of your daughter, so that you can remain as stress-free as possible. Can you do that for me?” Severus said, worry in his eyes as he looked down at Harry. 

“I can try,” Harry whispered, “I do trust you, I just…”

“I know,” Severus said, understanding in his eyes as he kissed Harry’s forehead, “But I promise that no matter what happens, you and your baby will be okay. Now then, I believe it is time for food, so I will wait outside for you to get dressed, then I will show you to the dining room. That is, if you would still like to eat there?”

“Okay,” Harry nodded. 

Severus smiled slightly and kissed Harry’s forehead again, “I love you, Harry. Everything will be okay, in the end, I promise,”

“I love you, too,” Harry breathed, trying desperately to believe that it will, in fact, all be okay.

Chapter Text

Harry was in the kitchen, cooking and baking more than enough food to feed at least a small army. On his own because he had kindly sent the house elves away to other parts of the Manor, or just to rest for some of the older/younger ones. He was bored. And when he was bored his mind wandered to things he would rather it wouldn’t. Memories would surface. His emotions would bubble up. And he couldn’t deal with that. He couldn’t. 

Cooking was fun, though. It took his mind off those things as he moved his hands, and body, and focused on the food and making it taste as good as possible. 

He had written back to Luna and Neville and sent along some notebooks that they could chat to each other via, it was a gift from Severus, and being able to talk privately to them was helping, too. But he would much prefer to be able to talk to them in person, so he didn’t have to wait for them to have the time to reply, or whatever. His mind really just needed something to keep it occupied so he wouldn’t keep… thinking about and remembering everything. Especially his dreams. 

Nightmares, really. 

But he couldn’t keep remembering those. 

No, cooking was an escape, and he enjoyed it. 

The only things he wanted to remember were the sounds of his baby’s heartbeat, and the golden image of her hovering above the soft curve of his belly during his latest sessions with Sev and Cissa. 

But of course his mind liked to bloody provide everything else instead. 

“Harry,” a voice said gently from the door, and Harry jumped, turning around to find Tom standing there with who he recognised as the Lestrange brothers, all three of them looking confused. 

“Merlin, Tom, you scared me,” Harry said, breathing deeply. 

“I’m sorry. But, are you okay? What are you doing here? Is cooking really a good thing for you to be doing right now? Where are my house elves?” Tom said nervously as he moved closer to Harry. 

“First of all, I’m pregnant, not incapacitated. Pregnant people have been cooking since the human race first existed. I think I’m fine. I’m also not using any magic, so you don’t need to worry about my magic being drained or anything. Secondly, I sent the house elves elsewhere, either to rest, or to clean something. And thirdly, I’m not okay. I needed something to take my mind off everything, and cooking helps to relax me, and to focus my mind on something, and such. I enjoy it. So here I am, cooking. I hope you’re all hungry,” Harry said before turning back to the task at hand. 

“Surely there is something better you can do?” Tom said, concerned. 

“Well, it was either this or reading, and as much as I like learning about the wizarding world, I really wanted to do something fun. This portion of the world seems to be rather lacking in that department. Not that I was really able to do anything fun in the muggle world either, but they have many more forms of entertainment than we do. So cooking it is,” Harry said. 

“What do they have that we don’t?” Rabastan said. 

Harry turned to look at him with incredulous eyes, “First of all, a hell of a lot of fiction books, comic books, graphic novels and such. You know, books for entertainment. Secondly, televisions, which are these boxes that show films and tv shows that are like plays but filmed so you can watch them from the comfort of your own home. You can even go to a cinema and watch the films on a larger screen, with louder sound. Then there are the however many sports they have, which are also filmed so you can watch them from home rather than having to go to the event. Then there is the music, which is always evolving and changing, with various genres so that everyone can find something they enjoy listening to,” 

“Severus and your twins are going shopping for things for you today, aren’t they? You could have gone shopping with them, if we are so incredibly boring?” Rodolphus said, raising an eyebrow. 

Harry also raised an eyebrow, pointing at him and Rabastan with the large knife he was holding, “Didn’t you two hurt Neville’s parents?” he said fiercely, “Were you that incredibly bored that you thought it okay to torture innocent people who were just trying to protect their child?” he seethed. 

Their eyes widened fractionally and they swallowed thickly, “Well, technically it was really Bella and Barty that did all the work. We were just keeping an eye out,” Rabastan said. 

“Well, you didn’t do a very good job then, did you, since you all got caught. Or was that the plan all along? Get caught. Go to Azkaban. Wait until your Lord returns and rescues you,” Harry said, spitefully, “Are all of your Death Eaters stupid? With the exceptions of Sev and Cissa, of course,” Harry added, looking at Tom. 

“When they want to be, yes,” Tom said with a grin, “But believe me when I say that these two have brains, most of the time. And strength. There are many things about that night that leads me to believe it was a set up, but we shan’t be discussing that right now. In any case, why didn’t you go out with Severus and your twins?” he said gently. 

Harry’s eyes widened at that information, “Why can’t we discuss that now? I would like to know why my friend's parents were hurt. Why you think it was a bloody set up,”

“Harry, I thought you didn’t want to discuss the war?” Tom said. 

“Well, yeah, I don’t. But if Alice and Frank were set up to either die or be hurt, then my parents probably were too. And I do believe that both Neville and I deserve to know what the fuck happened and why the fuck we were raised by people who couldn’t find it in them to care for us,” Harry said fiercely. 

“Okay, if you want then we can discuss it when you have calmed down, and when you don’t have access to any knives and other possible weapons. I don’t want to cause you too much stress. And I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Tom said calmly. 

Harry took a deep breath, “Okay,” he said, nodding, trying to calm down. 

“Now, why didn’t you go with your family to get the things you need?” Tom asked. 

“Because I didn’t want to leave here. I… I don’t feel safe anywhere else. And I know that they would protect me, and that they weren’t going anywhere obvious, but… I couldn’t bring myself to leave,” Harry said weakly, looking down at the food he was preparing, hating that he was so weak that he couldn’t even think about leaving the Manor. 

“That’s okay. Completely understandable, really. You’ve been through a lot. It will take time for you to adjust, to feel okay again,” Tom said softly, “Just, don’t stress yourself out too much. You’re not weak. You are one of the strongest people I have come to know. Just, please, don’t stress too much,”

Harry looked up at Tom with soft eyes, “Okay,” he swallowed, “What are you three doing down here, anyways?” 

“Oh, well, one of the house elves told me that you were in here and I thought I would see if you were alright,” Tom said nervously, “And I wanted to properly introduce you to these two. Over the coming months I want them to become part of your protectors. Just in case something happens, not that I am thinking anything will, of course, but it is always good to have more people on hand. Because of their status I can’t really have them go out in the open just yet, so I figured that they would come in handy with protecting and looking after you when needed. Like if you were to leave the Manor one day,”

“Oh, right, well, thank you,” Harry said, a tad flustered, “So I have actual bodyguards now?” 

“You don’t have to think of them as bodyguards if you don’t want to. You could become friends with them, I think they would get on quite well with your twins. They also love pranks and such. Very creative minds. But they are the best of my defenders, too. And I trust them to keep you and our daughter safe if need be,” he said, sharp eyes turning to the brothers, who nodded, straightening themselves up to their full heights and builds. 

“Okay. Just, no more torturing unless someone tries to hurt my baby, please. Or Severus, or the twins,” Harry said sternly. 

“Of course, Lord Harry,” the brothers said, their voices strong. 

“Nope, just Harry. None of that Lord crap. I’m not up for that,” Harry said, shaking his head. 

“Okay, Just Harry,” Rabastan said, a grin on his face. 

“That is not what I meant and you know it,” Harry growled, glaring at the brothers. 

“We know, yes, but it doesn’t mean we will do it,” Rodolphus said, also grinning, “What are you cooking anyway? It smells amazing,” 

“Thank you. But you shall have to wait until dinner to find out, if you would like any. So, go do whatever it is you boys do,” Harry waved them off, turning back to the food he was trying to prepare. 

He heard the brothers leave the room, but Tom moved closer to him, standing beside him. 

“Are you okay?” Tom asked.

“Mhm,” Harry nodded.

“I’m sorry if… If you don’t want them I can choose some others, or if you don’t want bodyguards at all then that is-”

“No, Tom. Bodyguards are a good idea. I just don’t like the thought that they might actually be needed one day,” Harry said, placing the knife on the chopping board and leaning against the counter, one hand on the small curve of his belly, that seems to be getting slightly bigger with each passing day, and the other resting on the counter, relaxing slightly as he felt his baby’s magic flowing through him.  

“I don’t like that thought, either,” Tom said, “But we must prepare for everything, right?”

“Even the worst,” Harry said, his voice thick. 

“Even the worst,” Tom agreed, his voice also thick with emotion as he swallowed deeply. 

“I’m sorry,” Harry whispered. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for. We’ll be okay. I’ll do anything and everything I can to make sure of it,” Tom said, his voice a tad stronger. 

“I know you will,” Harry said, swallowing thickly. 

“Right. Well, I’ll leave you to your cooking then. When you are done, call some of the house elves so you don’t end up taking all the dishes up to the dining room on your own, please,” Tom said gently. 

“Will do,” Harry said with a nod. 

“Good. Do you want me to send Severus or your twins down when they get back? Or do you want to be alone?” 

“Erm, can I be alone please?” 

“Of course. Whatever you need. I shall see you later,” Tom said. 

“See you,” 

Then Tom was gone, and Harry was breathing shakily, trying to get everything back under control, his thumb rubbing gently against Bump. 

And soon he was back to cooking. Trying desperately to ignore any and all thoughts and memories that entered his mind, relaxing the more he was there.

Chapter Text

Harry was alone in the family room. Though he had been with Narcissa, who had come over to check on him and the baby, ten minutes previously. Severus was making some potions, for Harry, for the Death Eaters, and for others. The twins had gone to join Severus after the appointment, they had some things to work on for Tom, who wanted to see what kinds of things they could make. Tom had a meeting with some Death Eaters after the appointment, so he had gone to attend to that. Harry, however, was still there. 

Staring at the small pile of baby shop catalogues that Narcissa had given him so he could start looking for things for his unborn daughter. 

Except, he wasn’t really doing that. Not quite yet anyways. He was, in fact, just staring at the pile of catalogues on the coffee table in front of him. Staring at the front cover which showed a beautifully designed nursery and a railing of cute little baby clothes. His heart and stomach clenched, however, the more he looked at it, and the more his mind brought up all the possibilities that would make purchasing any of those things unnecessary. 

His hand went to the small curve of his stomach and he rubbed it gently, fear almost consuming him the more the thoughts came. Tears spilling into his eyes. And for a moment he hated himself because for Merlin’s sake he had had enough of being weak. He had had enough of being scared.

But his baby could die. 

He knew that that was a possibility. He knew that everyone else knew it too, even if they didn’t talk about it around him. They were preparing for everything, and that meant that they had to prepare for that too. 

So… if his baby could die, then what was the point in buying anything for her?

It would hurt too much when he would have to pack it all away again, to never be used. Right?

He heard the door to the room open and close gently and the sound of shoes hitting the wooden floor. But his eyes didn’t leave the catalogues, even as Severus called his name softly. 

“Harry, are you alright?” Severus said as he sat down next to him, “I’m sorry I wasn’t with you when Narcissa checked you over,”

“That’s okay,” Harry said, “You have work to do, too. You don’t need to be with me at every moment. I… I don’t want to be a burden,”

“You could never be a burden, Harry,” Severus said, his voice ever so concerned, “What’s wrong?” 

“Narcissa gave me some catalogues, so I can start picking things out for the baby,” Harry said. 

“Okay. And why is that upsetting you? You don’t have to start buying things unless you want to,” Severus said gently, concerned. 

“I…” he sighed and stood up, moving around the coffee table so he had room to pace. He was agitated. He, Merlin, he needed… something. 

“Fuck. What’s the bloody point in buying anything? She’s gonna die, and then I’ll have to pack it all away, and then it’ll never be used, and all I’ll have is boxes of stuff that were meant to be used for her, but never can be used for her,” he ranted. 

“Harry, is this about your nightmares?” Severus asked, still gentle, still concerned. 

“No,” Harry said, “Maybe a little bit. But… You all think she is gonna die, too. That’s why we’re preparing for everything, right? Even her death. Because I’m not healthy enough, my magic isn’t-I’m not good enough to keep her in me, and she’s gonna be born really early, and there’ll be nothing you can do to help her, and I can’t, I can’t buy her things then have to put them away again because she can’t use them, because she’s dead,” he shook his head, a tear leaking down his cheek, which he wiped roughly away with his hand because he couldn’t keep crying like this. 

He paced, and paced, and paced until Severus came to stand in front of him, stopping his movement, his eyes concerned, and sad, and understanding, and loving. The man’s hands went to his shoulders and the warmth and pressure helped him to calm down a little, but didn’t help with the emotions swimming around in him. Not really. Only he felt a little less scared now. Because he wasn’t alone at that moment. He had his mum now. 

“Harry, is it going to hurt any less, if she dies and you haven’t got her anything?” Severus asked softly. 

“N-no,” Harry said. 

“We don’t think she’s going to die, Harry. And I’m sorry you think we do. We just know it’s a possibility. It is always a possibility, with every pregnancy. And so we need to prepare for that, and for everything else. If she does die, then know that it will never, ever be your fault. You have done so well, trying to keep her safe, and if your magic can’t keep her in you for long enough, then we will do everything we can to try and keep her alive. Narcissa and I are prepared. But if she’s born early, whether she lives or dies because of it, it’s not your fault. It is the fault of the bastards who tried to take her from you without your permission. The fault will lie solely on their shoulders no matter what happens, and they will be punished for it. They will be punished for everything they have done to you,” Severus said before pulling Harry gently into a hug. 

Harry sunk into the warmth gratefully, breathing shakily as he tried to calm down his bloody mind, but it was rather difficult to do so. 

“You don’t have to buy anything for her until you’re ready, Harry. But, at some point, we will need to buy her at least some things. A place to sleep, for example, clothes. If we are preparing for everything, then we are going to be preparing for her to live, too, aren’t we?” Severus said. 

“Yeah,” Harry muttered into Severus’ chest as Severus’ hand gently rubbed his back. 

“And we are going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that her living is the outcome of this pregnancy. But even if, for whatever reason that will be no fault of your own, she doesn’t get to live, then having brought her some clothes, a crib, and whatever else we buy… having those things will not make anything hurt any more or less, but at least we will have something to remind us of her, that we can look at at any time,” Severus said, his voice wavering slightly before he kissed the top of Harry’s head. 

“Did you… Did you buy anything for your baby? Did you keep it?” Harry asked quietly, so quietly part of him hoped that Severus hadn’t heard the questions, he didn’t want to pry too much, he didn’t want to hurt him, but he wanted to know, too. 

“I…” he heard, “I didn’t get all that far along. I got to fourteen weeks before I lost him… But I did, I did buy a teddy, and a babygrow, and a hat. I still have them, in a little box,” 

Harry looked up at Severus, who was smiling sadly down at him. 

“I can show you them, some time, if you’d like?” Severus said. 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, mum. That is for you, and his father if he’s around. Is he around? Did he leave you? Did he hurt you?” Harry said fiercely, protectively. 

“He… Well, we broke up like a year later, but it wasn’t… It wasn’t a bad break up. We are still friends, we just-I became a spy and he went off for work for a while, and we couldn’t make it work long distance. Maybe if… if I had been able to carry our son to term, things would have been different, but,” Severus said with a little bit of a shrug, a smile on his face at the protectiveness Harry was showing for him. 

“So he didn’t hurt you?” Harry asked. 

“No, he didn’t hurt me,” Severus said. 

“Good. Also, it’s not your fault,” Harry said. 

“I know, Harry,” Severus said, though Harry could tell that he didn’t quite believe it. 

“It’s not your fault. I shall keep saying that until you believe me. And I should hope that he tells you that, too. Since you are still friends,” Harry said, his voice still rather fierce. 

“He does,” Severus said, his lips twitching upwards slightly. 

“Good. If he ever tells you anything different, let me know,” his eyes narrowed dangerously. 

“You don’t even know who he is,” Severus chuckled slightly. 

“Well, I will find out, then I will find him, and I will drag his insides outside and do some other things that I can’t quite think of right now, and it will be the least he deserves for hurting you like that,” Harry said. 

“Whatever you say, Harry,” Severus said with a grin. 

“Precisely,” Harry said with a determined nod, and a smile up at his new mum. 

Harry’s stomach grumbled and he looked down, a little embarrassed. 

“Right, let’s get you something to eat shall we,” Severus said. 

“Sounds good, yeah,” Harry said with a nod. 

Severus led him out the room and to the kitchens, where the house elves fussed over both of them and Severus made them a small platter of sandwiches to share between them, because Harry was still struggling with food that wasn’t prepared by someone he knew and trusted, or himself. They sat down at the island and enjoyed the food. 

For a moment, thoughts of whatever may happen weren’t swarming around his mind. And that was good.